Dragon Masters of Fairy Tail
by xBrawlx
Summary: Not chosen for the S-Class trials, Natsu instead embarks on a mission with Wendy that sparks powerful feelings between them. However, tragedy strikes and with the disappearance of the Tenrou team can Natsu and Wendy take up the mantle of Masters of Fairy Tail? What will the future have in store for those two? (NaWen) (AU)
1. Chapter 1

**_AN: Hello everyone and welcome to my first "Fairy Tail" Story called "Dragon Masters Of Fairy Tail." The story's pairing will be NaWen. It would be about Natsu and Wendy who were left behind at instead of going to the S-Class trials and what would happen because of that._**

 ** _This is the first out of many Fairy Tail stories I'll make, and I do want to say that while I do support NaLu in canon, I think that since this pairing is pretty much confirmed, then I want to tackle different pairing in my FanFictions._**

 ** _Now, I hope that you'll like my story, but for those who wouldn't listen, I ask you to please keep your reviews civilized and not flame despite your dislike to the story. I will appreciate every review positive or not as long as it's constructive and civilized and not "Shitty story, fuck you and fuck this story" kind of reviews._**

 ** _I also chose not to include the honorifics in this story for now for several reasons but if you guys want to see the honorifics back then let me know in the reviews._**

 ** _I do want to say that this story would differ from canon in various ways such as the way the S-Class participants were announced and how they chose their partners, as well as adding arcs to the story that didn't happen on canon meaning the story at one point will deferential from canon but that doesn't mean that it'll entirely drop canon. I'll just add few things of my own from time to time in addition to the canon arcs like the GMG._**

 ** _Also, I do want to warn that some characters here will be OOC as you'll see in this chapter and I know that a lot hate that but some were necessary for the plot that I can assure although I do try to keep the OOCness to the minimum. I can say that Natsu and Wendy will become OOC to some extent as time goes by, but I'll try to develop the change as best as I can and not make it happen all of the sudden. Regarding Natsu in this chapter, while I did make it seem like he already became OOC in this chapter I can say that on the outside he will remain the same Natsu as ever which will change as time progress as well so be warned._**

 ** _Now, without further ado here is the prologue. Enjoy!_**

 ** _(Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does!)_**

"Talking."

 _'Thoughts.'_

 _"Quotation"_

 **"Attacks"**

* * *

It was yet another usual day for the people of Magnolia. The sun was in its full glory; Indicating that the summer was here to stay for a long time. The citizens were strolling the streets each with his own family and business in mind.

At Fairy Tail, it seemed like things were like always. Erza was sitting at the bar talking with Mira while eating her favorite Strawberry cake; Both of the girls having smiles on their faces as they spoke about what would happen at the guild today.

Natsu who sat at the table with Wendy, Happy, Carla, and Lucy was starting to get bored and so he decided to go and pick a fight with Gray.

"Hey, Ice Princess" Natsu called out to Gray who was sitting at a table with Juvia. In response, Gray was now approaching the Dragon Slayer's direction with a scowl on his face.

"Yes, Ash for a brain?" Gray asked in irritation as he got closer to Natsu who looked to be irritated by the Ice-Make mage as well.

Gray skidded to a stop as he was mere inches from Natsu's face; Waiting for his rival to say what he wanted only instead of words he received a flaming fist to the face; sending him flying towards a bunch of empty tables.

"What the hell was that for flame breath?!" Gray asked in fury as he got up from the rubble with a tick mark on his forehead.

Natsu did not respond and instead continued to snicker as he watched the Ice-Make mage sprint towards him and before he knew it he was uppercut by Gray who was now snickering instead of Natsu.

This went on for a while as each of them hit each other with their respective magic before Gajeel and Elfman who were also bored decided to jump in the brawl as well.

"Leave it to Natsu to always cause a mess," Lucy said while watching her guildmates go at it like usual; Rolling her eyes and sighing in exasperation as she leaned back in her chair.

"Aye Sir! That's Natsu for you," Happy interjected while holding his paw up; Making those who were at the table with him to laugh.

"Indeed but I like that about Natsu, he always seemed to make the guild in a good mood," Wendy shyly said as she gazed at her fellow Dragon Slayer; Her eyes showing many feelings at the moment that to her luck, no one has seemed to notice as they were too focused on the brawl, hoping that this time, it won't end with the guild being destroyed.

Everyone knew of the Sky Dragon Slayer's feelings towards Natsu and how she thought of him as her big brother as well as a role model. It was clear as the sky just from seeing her interaction with him and the look of pure admiration she always held in her eyes when she looked at him but little did they know that those feelings changed.

Wendy for her part had many emotions swirling inside of her as she gazed at Natsu, some feelings she couldn't explain. There were the admiration and respect she held for Natsu as well as sympathy and closeness that she felt towards him due to the both of them being Dragon Slayers who lost their Dragons but there was another feeling, one that confused her to no end. She could only describe it as feeling her insides become warm, and her heart accelerates just from the mere mention of the Fire Dragon Slayer.

She was deep in thoughts, trying to figure the meaning behind those new and confusing feelings when the master's voice boomed through the guild hall; Snapping her back to reality.

"Listen here brats! Today I'm going to announce who will participate in the upcoming S-Class that will be held on Tenrou Island as usual," Makarov who stood on the stage along with Erza, Mirajane, and Gildarts shouted which was answered by roars of excitement that intensified with each member the master announced.

"Gray Fullbuster!"

"Freed Justine!"

"Elfman Strauss!"

"Juvia Lockster!"

"Cana Alberona!"

"Levy McGarden"

"Jet!"

"Mest Gryder!"

At Mest Gryder's name the roars faded and instead were replaced with whispers between the guild members about the mysterious candidate.

The whispering between the guild members did not live for long as Master Makarov coughed so he could gain their attention; Making everyone snap their attention back to their master but before Master Makarov could speak another voice roared in the guild hall in anger.

"WHAT THE HELL MASTER WHY WASN'T I PICKED?!" Natsu asked in pure anger as he glared at his Master who seemed unfazed by it.

"Natsu now's not the time, I'll talk to you later in private," Makarov tried to brush him off, but to his dismay the Dragon Slayer continued to persist on why he wasn't chosen; Making Makarov to sigh before he told Natsu the reason behind his decision in front of his guild despite his unwillingness to do so.

"Well Natsu, the reason you wasn't selected for this year's trials is that you do not have what it takes to be an S-Class mage," Makarov said which caused some of the members to gasp in surprise since they knew the immense strength the Dragon Slayer held.

Natsu looked at his master with wide eyes that showed the pain he was feeling from his master words but before he could rebut Master's claim the latter continued to speak.

"While you are a strong mage you lack the important traits that an S-Class magician should have like self-restraint and how to be responsible for things other than yourself, you lack a strategic thinking and instead choose to fight with raw power instead of your mind which is unfit for an S-Class wizard who face very strong mages in their missions, I am sorry son but as long as you'll remain the same as you are now I cannot allow myself to let you participate in the S-Class trials," Makarov said in both certainty and sadness as he hated to deny one of his children to achieve their dreams but he had no choice to as the guild's master.

"That's bullshit! I have self-restraint, and I can be responsible for other things right?" Natsu asked as he averted his gaze from the master to Gray and Lucy who looked away from him while Gray started laughing.

"You self-restraint and responsible? Give me a break flame breath the master's right," Gray said after recovering from his laugh.

"Right, you always destroy stuff when we are on missions which result in us spending our reward cash on the repairs because you just rush into fights instead of thinking," Lucy interjected with newfound confidence while nodding in agreement to both her and Gray's words.

Natsu looked at the two of them in shock while he started to feel betrayed by their harsh words although he wouldn't show it.

"You're wrong! Tell them Erza," Natsu counter while seeking support from his teammate and childhood friend who was yet to give her opinion on the matter.

"I'm sorry Natsu but their right, you lack all of these traits, and therefore you cannot be allowed to participate in the trials," Erza said from the stage in her strict voice while deep inside she felt pity for the boy because she knew how much he wanted to become S-Class.

Natsu looked at her in disbelief as he felt like he has been stabbed in the back by his best friends; Not wanting to counter the master's words anymore while the rest of the guild laughed at Natsu in response.

"Umm I think Natsu should participate in the S-Class trials, he is a very strong mage," Wendy said in her timid voice while casting her gaze downwards to the floor and playing with her fingers nervously.

Natsu was surprised how Wendy stood up for him, and he couldn't be more grateful for it. When he thought about it, Wendy was one of the few rare members of the guild that always supported him even when he did stupid stuff, and he couldn't be happier to have her on his side.

He noticed for quite some time now that something about Wendy has changed and he couldn't put his finger on what exactly, the only thing he knew was that for some reason Wendy looked at him differently which confused him.

Master Makarov who noticed that Natsu wasn't going to reply soon chose to continue and explain about the upcoming trials; Deciding there's no point to continue this argument as he didn't want to cause his child more pain.

"...Also, Those who were chosen should pick up a partner and report to me their selection until tomorrow morning," Master Makarov said after finishing his detailed explanation about the upcoming exams and why each member was chosen.

* * *

After Master Makarov was done the guild was still in a state of chaos and excitement from the announcement, all except Natsu who was sitting at a table in the far corner of the guild with Happy who was trying to cheer him up.

Everyone seemed to ignore the hurting Dragon Slayer except for a certain blue haired girl who watched him from afar with great concern.

 _'I hope Natsu is okay...I hate seeing him like this'_ Wendy thought in sadness as she looked at Natsu and hoped that he'd soon revert to his usual cheery attitude.

"Hello, Wendy are you free by any chance? I want to talk to you about the S-Class trials," Mest Gryder said as he approached Wendy's table; Making the Dragon Slayer to shift her focus on him instead of Natsu as she was surprised by Mest's sudden approach.

"Sure Mest-san what is it?" Wendy shyly asked as she flashed him a friendly smile which he returned.

"I was thinking maybe you'd like to be my partner for the S-Class exams? I heard great things about you from Mystogan," Mest said which caused the girl to look at him in wide eyes upon hearing her lost friend's name.

"Mystogan? How do you know him? Have you met him?" She blurted out while hoping to learn more about the blue-haired guy who accompanied her a few years ago filled her.

"Yes I know him, I was his disciple, and he always said good stuff about you so what do you say about partnering up with me for the trials?" He replied with a smile as he noticed the excitement the blue-haired girl had; Hoping that she'll accept his offer but before Wendy could respond another voice interrupted their talk.

"I am sorry Mest, but I cannot allow you or anyone else to partner up with Wendy," Makarov asked; Making Wendy gasp in surprise and Mest to look at Makarov in wide eyes that showed perplexity as to why exactly he couldn't allow anyone to partner with the Sky Dragon Slayer.

"Why?" Wendy asked in surprise as she gazed at Master.

"I cannot allow you to take part in the trials because you are too weak for it. I'm sorry Wendy, but those trials require several things that you have yet to achieve," Makarov sadly replied while trying to avoid Wendy's gaze as he started to hear the Dragon Slayer sniff.

Natsu who sat at his table heard the entire conversation between Wendy, Mest, and Master Makarov and he couldn't be angrier than he is now after hearing Wendy being called weak by the master.

"Wendy's not weak! She is one of the strongest magicians at the guild!" Natsu yelled from his table in frustration; Making the entire guild who didn't hear the talk between Wendy, Mest, and master to look at him in confusion.

Makarov gazed sadly at his child who sat alone and replied in a stern voice that showed no emotions "I'm sorry Natsu, but I have made my mind,"

* * *

Natsu was enraged, first the things that master told him, then his friend's betrayal, and now Wendy's crying. Natsu had enough.

He listened to what Master said, and he felt the feeling of betrayal intensify when he learned that the other S-Class magicians such as Gildarts and Mirajane also had a saying in the selection of the participants which made him think that they also thought little of him like his team and Master.

He stood up from his seat and went to the mission board and picked up a job before going to Mirajane so she could approve it. After Mirajane had approved it, Natsu went to Wendy's side and told her to come with him.

"Let's go on a mission, Wendy," He said with his toothy grin aimed at the bluenette who smiled in return before it turned into a glare when he looked at Master Makarov who remained silent in response.

"Ok Natsu," Wendy replied before she quickly got up from her seat and followed Natsu outside the guild with Carla in tow.

The rest of the guild continued to look at the doors for a few minutes after the duo had left before they shrugged it off and continued with their usual business.

By midnight all the participants chose their partners.

Gray chose Loki much to Lucy's surprise.

Freed chose Bickslow much to Evergreen's dismay although she was chosen by Elfman who initially wanted to pick Lisanna who much to his dismay was selected by Juvia after Lisanna had told him that someone else was interested in being his partner he ended up choosing Evergreen much to the girl delight.

Cana chose Lucy who she now felt close to after revealing her secret to the blonde who eagerly accepted.

Levy didn't actually choose her partner thanks to Gajeel who announced that he is her partner without really asking for her opinion which she eventually accepted much to Droy's dismay which was chosen by his teammate, Jet, to be his partner; Making him snap out of his depression and get excited that he now had a chance to be close to his Levy.

And Mest ended up teaming with Max instead of Wendy after seeing that he was quite strong.

After they all had chosen their partners, they reported to Master who accepted their selections and told them to meet him in Hargeon Port in a week.

* * *

 ** _(With Wendy And Carla)_**

After Natsu and Wendy had left the guild with their exceeds in tow Natsu, they both went to their homes to pack for their mission which from what Natsu told Wendy would last a while before they decided to meet at the train station in an hour.

"I wonder what kind of mission Natsu picked," Wendy asked herself in curiosity as she tried to think of what mission her fellow Dragon Slayer picked.

"I don't know but I hope that it won't be dangerous," Carla replied with a frown as she thought about Natsu picking a dangerous mission like he would usually do.

"Don't worry Carla Natsu-san is strong and I'm sure that he'll protect us," Wendy reassured her exceed with full confidence that no matter what Natsu would protect them.

Carla looked at Wendy warily as she tried to find any hint regarding Wendy's feelings towards Natsu. Out of everyone in the guild, Carla was the only one who noticed the change in Wendy's feelings towards Natsu, but she wasn't sure what Wendy exactly felt now, and she wasn't going to ask her, at least not yet, instead she tried to study Wendy's behavior each time Natsu was mentioned.

"He better!" Carla said, turning her head to the side after examining Wendy for several minutes; Making the bluenette smile in happiness that her exceed didn't seem to oppose the mission, so she continued to pack her stuff while smiling all the while; Eager to spend some time with Natsu.

* * *

 ** _(With Natsu And Happy)_**

Natsu and Happy were quick to finish with their packing due to them not having much to pack other than a few clothes and fish for Happy so they were now on their way to the train station to wait for Wendy who should arrive in half an hour.

During their walk towards the train station, Natsu barely spoke which made Happy sad as he knew that what happened in the guild earlier still affected Natsu hard.

The exceed couldn't believe how his team and the rest of the guild treated Natsu after everything he's done for them and he was not going to forgive them for that anytime soon even if they would give him a lot of fish in return which caused Happy to be surprised as he never thought that he'd refuse fish in return for anything.

Sure, he knew that Natsu had destructive tendencies, but that didn't mean that he wasn't capable of being an S-Class mage. He saved his team's life many times, and it's not like he wasn't responsible since he did raise him all by himself after Lisanna's death.

Happy was very mad at the guild, and he was sure that his feelings were not even close to what Natsu felt at the moment.

Natsu for his part was deep in thought as his mind replayed what happened in the guild; Making him angrier as time went on.

He thought of those who laughed at him and sided with Master instead of him: Lucy who without him wouldn't even be a part of Fairy Tail right now, Gray his childhood rival who he believed he could count on when the situation was serious like back at the guild, Erza who despite her strict outlook always seemed fond of the Dragon Slayer, and then there were Mirajane and Gildarts who he knew had a saying in who this year's candidates would be, those struck the Dragon Slayer the hardest.

Mirajane, Fairy Tail's demon, who used to be a big part of Natsu's heart due to the bond they developed after Lisanna's death and Gildarts, Fairy Tail's ace, who was like a father figure who he thought would get his back no matter what but the affection he felt towards the two was soon replaced with feelings of sorrow and betrayal that he was sure wouldn't pass quickly.

He then remembered Wendy who stood out for him unlike the rest of the guild who instead laughed at him; he felt happy that he still had her by his side even when the rest betrayed him, and he couldn't be happier for that.

Natsu was so deep in thoughts that he wouldn't have realized that they got to the train station if it wasn't for Happy who snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Natsu are you ok?" Happy asked his partner his concern.

"Yeah, buddy I'm ok why?" Natsu reassured Happy, he hated to lie to his best friend but he wasn't able to talk about it right now, and he hoped that he'd understand.

"Ok Natsu...I was just worried about you," Happy replied; Deciding not to push the subject further which Natsu appreciated greatly.

They were both engaged in a small talk regarding their upcoming mission when they heard Wendy call for them.

"Natsu! Happy!" She waved as she ran towards them with a big smile on her face while her heart accelerated and her insides became warm as she caught sight of her fellow Dragon Slayer.

"Hey Wendy, Carla. I hope you're ready for the mission?" Natsu said, returning his own smile to the bluenette who for some reason blushed in return; Making Natsu cock an eyebrow in curiosity.

He was about to ask Wendy about why she was blushing when Carla interrupted him, asking about the mission.

"Ah yes! Our mission is to eliminate a Dark Guild somewhere around Oak town," He explained while both Wendy and Carla listened intently to the details.

"Ok then let's go!" Wendy said in enthusiasm before they went and bought tickets for the train that would soon approach.

A few minutes later the train to Oak Town approached and as it got closer Natsu started to curse the deathtrap as they boarded it before he became Green and collapsed to the floor while holding his mouth so he wouldn't vomit when it started moving; Making everyone giggle.

None of them aware of the grim future that awaits them.

* * *

 ** _AN: Please don't forget to Follow, Favorite, and Review! I'll see you next chapter! :)_**


	2. Chapter 2

**_AN: Hey guys and welcome to the second chapter of "Dragon Masters Of Fairy Tail."_**

 ** _I want to thank those who favorited, followed, and reviewed! :)_**

 ** _Now, as I said in the previous chapter, there won't be any honorific for now, but if I see that a lot wants them, then I'll add them._**

 ** _Also, this chapter would focus on Natsu and Wendy's mission and will also have slight development to their relationship but not much. I plan on making their relationship to develop rather slowly and over time (Not for too long) as they try and grasp the meaning of the feelings they feel towards each other._**

 ** _Once again, I ask those of you who do not like the story to keep your reviews please civilized and constructive._**

 ** _I hope you'll like the chapter! Please don't forget to favorite, follow, and review. Enjoy!_**

"Talking."

 _'Thoughts.'_

 _"Quotation"_

 **"Attacks"**

* * *

Six hours has passed until Natsu, Wendy, Happy, and Carla has arrived at Oak Town, the previous house of the disbanded Phantom Lord.

Natsu who instantly bolted out of the train freight has instantly got to his knees and kissed the ground all the while thanking every existing god for finally putting an end to the suffering he endured for six whole hours on the deathtrap; making everyone giggle from his reaction, everyone except for Carla who did not know what to think of the Dragon Slayer's behavior other than ridiculous.

"Pathetic," Carla deadpanned while staring at Natsu.

"Carla be nice. It's not Natsu's fault that he have this motion sickness; it's a Dragon Slayer thing," Wendy frowned while explaining to her exceed in a tone that showed that she did not approve of her behavior toward Natsu who was not at fault.

"Whatever," Carla replied, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked away from the scene.

Natsu got up from his kneeling position shortly after Carla, and Wendy's conversation has ended; his cheerful behavior now back at full throttle as he and the rest left the train station in search for the town's hall where the mayor resides.

None of them realizing that the happy Natsu they saw right now was nothing more than a facade he had up for not worrying his teammates while he continued to hurt inside from the events that happened at the guild, none of them but a certain bluenette who saw the look in Natsu's eyes that transmitted concealed hurt; making the bluenette to decide not to confront Natsu about this for now, she'll do it when the time's right.

* * *

Much to the group's luck the town's hall was only a couple of streets away meaning that the walk around town didn't last long for which they were grateful too.

Right now Natsu and the others were at the mayor's office, waiting for the mayor who stood in front of them to provide them with details about their upcoming mission.

From what they could see the mayor was an old and short man, around 1.50 meters tall, who appeared to be in his 70's as evident by his beard and hair that were white as the snow. The mayor's clothes seemed to be nothing special as he only wore a simple black suit with a red tie.

"Hello there Fairy Tail magicians! From the behalf of the citizens of the town and me, we want to say that we are thankful that you accepted our mission request," The mayor started in a rather happy tone that showed his happiness from the arrival of the Fairy Tail magician's.

"So old man, what can you tell us about the dark guild that bothers you?" Natsu asked in impatient as he couldn't wait to get out of this place so he could go and kick the dark guild's ass.

Wendy and the Exceeds frowned from their teammate's antics; hoping that the mayor wouldn't get upset with them because of Natsu.

"Well son, the dark guild's name is _"Crimson Basilisk."_ They reside on a mountain ten minutes from here. From what we know the guild have around thirty members, most of them can be handled rather easily but from what we know there is a group of three members including their leader whose powers are much beyond the rest of the guild. Unfortunately, we are not aware of the extent of their abilities so I cannot tell you anything else about those three other than that you shouldn't underestimate them," The mayor explained in a serious tone which turned solemn at the end.

"I'm all fired up!" Natsu who abruptly stood shouted in enthusiasm as he flared up his fist; making the others sweatdrop in response.

The rest of the group stood up, greeted the mayor and were about to leave the room after the mayor wished them good luck on their mission.

* * *

By the time Natsu and the others left the town's hall, it was already nightfall, the citizens of the city slowly vacating the once busy streets in favor of going to their families and loved ones.

"We should go search for an inn," Wendy tiredly suggested while wobbling, her eyes struggling to remain opened.

Carla who noticed her partner was about to collapse was making her way to Wendy in order to carry her stopped midway as she saw that Natsu has already beat her to it and took Wendy instead; making her flash a smirk to the Dragon Slayer who failed to notice it as he focused on carrying Wendy as he walked.

It didn't take them long to find an inn thanks to the vast amount of inns that spread across town due to the town being a pretty popular tourist attraction thanks to its massive, pastoral environment that made up the city's beautiful landscape.

The inn they found was nothing prestigious. The inn was a two stories, wooden building but that didn't matter to the Fairy Tail wizards who just wanted to get a peaceful sleep before they embark on their mission.

After Natsu finished checking them in he took Wendy back from Carla and led the way upstairs to their room. Occasionally Natsu would glance at Wendy sleeping form and smiled a tender smile at the bluenette who slept in his arms as a warm feeling enveloped him.

Once they got to their rooms, Natsu gently placed Wendy on one of the beds and put a blanket on her so she wouldn't get cold in the middle of the night.

After he was finished, the Fire Dragon Slayer slumped on his bed and instantly went to sleep. Happy and Carla following after their partner's shortly after.

* * *

It was the beginning of a new day, the sun began to peak over the horizon, and the people started to fill the vacant streets of Oak Town once again.

Once Natsu and Wendy woke up they each went to take a shower by turn before they left.

After the two Dragon Slayers had finished showering, they woke Happy and Carla, who was surprisingly still asleep, up and left their room in search for breakfast before they embarked on their mission to eliminate _"Crimson Basilisk."_

Once they were done eating, they quickly left in the direction of the town's wilderness.

It took several hours until Natsu, and the rest were finally short distance away from the supposed location of the dark guild; exhaustion started to make itself known.

Once they reached a safe distance from the supposed location, Natsu started sniffing in search for any signs of the guild hall and it's members while the rest stood idle and waited for the Dragon Slayer to finish.

Wendy who was cradling Carla looked at Natsu as he sniffed the ground and air and couldn't help but feel impressed by her fellow Dragon Slayer's tracing skill; a blush was gracing the bluenette's face.

Wendy's impression did not live for long as it was quickly replaced with sadness when she started to think about her skills and how far she was from Natsu's level. For a long time, Wendy wanted nothing more than to prove to everyone, especially Natsu that she was a vigorous and powerful Dragon Slayer and not the little girl who always heals them when they're injured. She wanted to be useful for the guild who took her in with open arms and broad smiles after the Nirvana incident where she also learned the truth about her previous guild, Cait Shelter. She knew that the guild valued her healing abilities a lot, but she felt that she had so much more to offer than just healing and the bluenette was determined to do her very best to work on that so she could finally achieve what she wanted.

She was brought out of her line of thought when she heard her fellow Dragon Slayer voice shouting.

"Yes! I found them, let's go, Wendy!" He shouted with enthusiasm as his itch to fight has grown immensely with each minute that passed since they left the mayor's office.

Wendy did not respond to the Dragon Slayer and instead just flashed him a sincere smile before she followed him deeper into the wilderness where _"Crimson Basilisk."_ resides.

* * *

The walk to the guild hall of _"Crimson Basilisk._ " was not long from where they stopped for which Wendy was grateful

Right now they were standing in front of the massive guild hall of the dark guild they were tasked to eliminate. The guild hall stood at two stories tall; its structure was embedded into one of the mountains and its design looked to be like a simple cave on the outside with a large hole used as an entrance; making it seemed like the cave was used as a house to a giant creature.

Wendy averted her gaze from the odd guild hall and onto Natsu but frowned when she saw that the salmon-haired boy was no longer by her side.

"I'm all fired up!" She heard him shout, making her avert her gaze towards the direction his voice came from only to see him entering the _"Crimson Basilisk."_ guild hall.

"Is he always this reckless?" Carla asked in irritation as she watched him rush into the guild hall without any plan.

"Aye! That's Natsu for you," Happy who flew beside her replied, making Carla sigh in exasperation before the three of them followed Natsu into the guild hall.

Once they entered the dim lit guild hall, they walked around cautiously as they searched for their fellow teammate. Wendy tried using her nose to try and pick Natsu's familiar smell that was made out of the smell of scorch as well as a small tinge of ash but frowned when she couldn't find it due to another lingering smell that overwhelmed her nose.

"Wendy are you ok?" Carla asked in worry as she saw Wendy held her nose with a pained expression on her face.

"Y-Yeah," Wendy replied as she slowly recovered from the feeling of her sense of smell being overwhelmed.

"I'm sorry, but I can't find Natsu, there's something that prevents me from smelling anything," Wendy apologized while being on the brink of tears from thinking that once again she proved to be useless in tracing Natsu.

"It's ok Wendy, it's not your fault," Carla reassured her partner while soothingly touching Wendy's leg with her paw which seemed to work as Wendy visibly relaxed, and the signs of upcoming tears disappeared.

"Thanks, Carla," She whispered her thanks to the exceed while composing herself before they proceeded to go deeper into the guild hall in search for their lost teammate.

* * *

Natsu strode around the spacious halls of _"Crimson Basilisk"_ guild hall in search of someone he could fight.

Natsu has been itching for a good fight ever since he and Wendy left the guild and now that was in their enemies guild hall his craving intensified ten folds, making him lose his patient the more time he spent roaming the dark halls of their guild.

"Arghh where are they hiding," Natsu yelled in annoyance after not stumbling any member of the dark guild.

In his haste to find someone that will satisfy the Dragon Slayer's itch to fight he didn't stop to think how odd it was that he didn't come across anyone from the dark guild they were supposed to take out, but then again Natsu was never the kind of person to think about that sort of stuff, his team was in charge of that while he just rushed to fight his opponents.

 _'I hope Wendy's ok'_ Natsu found himself thinking as he continued his stride; worry and regret starting to fill him as he thought about his abrupt leaving when he and his team arrived at their destination.

Natsu couldn't explain it, but whenever he thought about Wendy being in danger, he was seething more than he would usually would if it was another guild member and it confused him greatly as to why. One thing he knew; his feelings for Wendy consisted of something else than a sister like, but what? He had no idea, and he had every intention to find out.

He tried looking back at the lessons Igneel taught him about human feelings. He remembered those like the back of his hand; he remembers his father talking about other emotions such as happiness, anger, and sadness among few other emotions but not anything about the emotions he is currently experiencing.

While he was thinking about all of that, the salmon-haired boy failed to see the attack that closed it's distance to him very quickly; making him receive the attack dead on instead of dodging it like he could have easily done if he was not deep in his thoughts.

"What the hell?" Natsu asked after feeling a sharp pain emanating from his right shoulder; making him snap out of his train of thoughts and look around for the culprit whose attack belonged to him but to his dismay, he couldn't find anyone.

"You were foolish to come here boy," A masculine voice echoed through the dark halls; making Natsu to quickly his gaze to the source of the voice to find a man standing there.

The man had tanned skin and emerald spiky hair; his clothes were made out of a black shirt with an equally black trench coat covering it and pants that were foot-length darkish gray trousers and a bandana that was tied around his forehead. His left hand was holding what seemed to be a sniper rifle.

"Who the hell are you?" Natsu asked in annoyance as he gazed at the strange man in front of him who he figured to be a user of Guns Magic; wanting to know more about him before he would beat him up.

"Aren't you a curious one. My name's Ao, a Guns magic user and one of the members of "Crimson Basilisk's Tri-Serpent squad," and the one who's going to show you the severity of the mistake you've done by coming her," The now known Ao has arrogantly replied.

"Oh Yeah! I'm all fired up now!" Natsu vigorously replied as he lit his right arm; making Ao smirk in excitement as he saw his opponents magic.

"Fire magic huh? Well, it won't stand a chance against my Guns magic that's for sure," He provoked; trying to make Natsu initiate the first attack.

Ao's plan seemed to perfectly work as Natsu grew a tick mark on his forehead after hearing his opponent's remark on his magic made him growl in irritation.

 **"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"** Natsu shouted as he ran towards Ao at full speed; eager to teach the emerald haired bastard a lesson he would always teach those who belittled the magic he learned from Igneel but when he was just mere inches from Ao the latter had suddenly teleported from his sight; making Natsu confused as to what just happened and where Ao has disappeared.

"Huh? Where the hell did he g.." Natsu said in perplexity but was cut mid-sentence when yet another magic shot collided with his left shoulder only this time the attack had traces of ice in it, unlike the first one that felt like a regular attack.

Natsu didn't have much time until another bullet made it way towards the Dragon Slayer who this time managed to hear the bullet and dodged what would have been a straight shot to his abdomen.

"Come on out and fight instead of hiding you bastard!" Natsu shouted in irritation as a tick mark appeared on his forehead in response to his opponent's cowardly behavior.

"You asked for it," Ao who now stood in front of Natsu once again said, only this time instead of his sniper rifle he had two submachine guns in his hands.

Seeing his new choice of weapon Natsu got excited as he acknowledged that this fight might become a more challenging one.

"Finally you are going to fight me like a man," Natsu enthusiastically said as he flashed the emerald haired guy in front of him a smirk.

Ao who got annoyed by Natsu's attempt to taunt him did not respond with his words and rather chose to respond by aiming his guns and starting to shoot at Natsu who was now dodging the onslaught of magic bullets from various kinds that made their way towards him; few of the bullets managing to hit the Dragon Slayer who winced in response to the pain they caused him.

 **"Fire Dragon's Claw!"** Natsu said as he jumped from a barrage of bullets; taking this chance to land his devastating kick onto his opponent who once again teleported just mere seconds before the attack connected with his head.

"Damn!" Natsu yelled in annoyance after hitting the ground with his attack, but to his dismay, he didn't have much time to regain his footing as yet another barrage of bullets made their way towards him; forcing the Dragon Slayer to jump once again.

As Natsu descended to the ground once again he saw something shiny coming from above him; thinking it was the enemy Natsu launched yet another attack towards the direction of the shiny object.

 **"Fire Dragon's Roar!"** He had shouted before he launched his attack; hoping that this attack would sway the battle to his favor.

He smirked in triumph as he heard his opponent's cries that signaled that he was the source of the shiny object and Natsu's roar.

"You bastard!" Ao furiously shouted as he appeared in front of Natsu with his burnt arm clenched with the other; his clothes barely intact as most of them were burnt.

 **"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"** Natsu had yelled before he rushed at the emerald haired guy with his flaming fist, but the attack never connected as it appears that Ao has vanished once again only this time Natsu assumed he wouldn't be back, at least not soon.

And so, Natsu continued to roam the dark, spacious halls of the guild hall in search of Wendy, and the rest of the guild who he itched to fight.

* * *

Wendy, Carla, and Happy strode past the dark, spacious halls of the abandoned guild hall; each one of them was having something else on their mind.

For Carla, it was the weird fact that ever since they entered the guild hall half an hour ago, they haven't encountered any member of the dark guild and she found it to be very suspicious; making her warily look around while she flew beside Wendy.

For Wendy, it was her growing worry about Natsu and how he was doing at the moment; fear struck her as her mind replied the words the mayor said in their meeting about how they shouldn't underestimate the strongest three members of the guild they're dealing with. The bluenette also thought back to the concealed hurt she saw in Natsu's eyes when they got off the train. Seeing this hurt in the eyes of none other than Natsu brought anger to Wendy, anger that someone had such an impact on the cheery Dragon Slayer she cherished so much along with other feelings she has yet to realize.

 _'I hope Natsu's ok'_ She hopefully thought; hoping that her fellow Dragon Slayer was out of harm way while the thought of Natsu being fatally injured send shivers down her spine as feeling of utter dread filled her; something she was not used to feeling to this extent when she thought about an injured guild member. It confused the bluenette as to why she would be struck with so much dread only when she thought of Natsu injured and not any other guild member, sure she would feel dread about any injured guild member but not to the extent she felt it when that member was Natsu. Deciding to push the confusing feelings about her fellow Dragon Slayer to the back of her mind while promising herself to think deeper on those feelings when time allows her to she resumed her focus on the task at hand; continuing to stroll through the halls in search for any sign of Natsu.

While Wendy and Carla were worried about the dark guild and Natsu, Happy was not like them. Instead, the blue feline has continued to think about fish while drooling.

"Watch out!" Carla shouted in panic as she and the rest dived out of the incoming beam of light that would have pierced the bluenette's body if it wasn't for Carla who warned her.

Everyone was aghast from what has just transpired, but they didn't have much time to think about it before a feminine voice was heard in front of them along with footsteps that sounded like they were coming closer and closer to them.

"How troublesome. Instead of embracing my light attack and going to the afterworld you had to avoid it and make things harder," The feminine voice spoke in a bothersome tone; showing the blonde's displeasure in the survival of Wendy and the Exceeds.

Wendy and the rest looked intently at the direction of the footsteps when suddenly a small light erupted in the once dark halls; rendering them able to see their attacker and source of the feminine voice.

The sight they were met with was a girl that was the same height as Mirajane; her golden blonde hair was set into a large pigtail that cascaded down to her ample bust. Her clothes consisted of a crimson bikini top that gave sight to her curvaceous body and a white skirt.

"W-Who are you?" Wendy fearfully asked as she gazed at the towering figure of the woman in front of her; ready to counter in the case the blonde would attack.

"It's important to know the name of the one who'll send you to the afterlife so I'll tell you mine, my name's Maria, your worst nightmare,"


	3. Chapter 3

_**AN: Hey guys and welcome to the third chapter of "Dragon Masters Of Fairy Tail."**_

 _ **This chapter will continue exactly from the point the last chapter left off as I know you've been waiting for it :)**_

 _ **I want to say that the support this story gets (Favorites, Follows, and Reviews) blows my mind. Fairy Tail has a big community here with thousands of fics being published and updated daily and to see the amount of people that found my fic and supported it makes me really happy.**_

 _ **As I told you before, I suck at writing fights which were why this chapter took a long time to make because of the many fights it has in it, but I finally completed it, and I am happy with the end results, and I hope you will be happy as well.**_

 _ **Once again, I ask those of you who do not like the story to keep your reviews please civilized and constructive.**_

 _ **Ok now, without further delay, here is the next chapter. Enjoy! And don't forget to Favorite, Follow, and Review!**_

"Talking."

 _'Thoughts.'_

 _"Quotation."_

 **"Attacks."**

* * *

W-Who are you?" Wendy fearfully asked as she gazed at the towering figure of the woman in front of her; ready to counter in the case the blonde would attack.

"It's important to know the name of the one who'll send you to the afterlife, so I'll tell you mine, my name's Maria, your worst nightmare," The blonde now known as Maria said with a wicked grin aimed at Wendy; causing her to shiver in fright.

"You should relax little one. You don't want to die in fear right?" Maria asked her in mockery as she rolled her eyes at the still shivering form of Wendy.

"I...I'm not going to d...die!" Wendy hesitantly stuttered as she tried to sound intimidating to the blonde in front of her, but to no avail; making the blonde in front of her to laugh hysterically at the poor attempt.

"Ohh...That was good little one, but you and I both know exactly how it'll end" Maria said after she stifled her laugh before turning dead serious at the end while she started to slowly walk towards Wendy.

"Wendy it'll be ok, you can do it!" Carla soothingly whispered in the bluenette's ear as she flew next to her in an attempt to calm her down and encourage her to try and fight instead of continuing to stare at the approaching blonde in fright while shivering.

Wendy nodded before she closed her eyes and inhaled a large breath in an attempt to calm herself down, and once she exhaled it, she felt a bit calmer and assured of herself thanks to Carla who Happy, who placed his paw on her feet in reassurance.

But the exceeds were not the only reason for Wendy's newfound confidence; When she closed her eyes a familiar salmon-haired guy popped immediately into her mind, encouraging her to do her best and to prove her enemy the same thing he already knows; that there's more than meets the eyes when it concerns her, much more.

She wondered if the real Natsu really thought the same thing and the possibility that he did make her glow in happiness before she became sad at the other option, the option where he didn't think of her like that, but even if he didn't, she would do her best to show him otherwise and this fight was the beginning of that.

She thought of her mother, Grandinee, and how she'll react when she saw how scared she was right now. She knew her mother would encourage her, but she knew that she would like Wendy to confront her fears head-on or else, she'll forever be stuck within her fears, scared to go out and try new stuff.

She gulped in nervousness from what she was about to do next and looked at Maria dead in the eyes.

 **"Deus Corona! Deus Eques!"** She vigorously shouted as the enchantments made by her magic began to take effect; making Maria cock an eyebrow in curiosity as she witnessed the two green lights around Wendy, but decided to shrug it off as a part of her weak magic.

 **"Sky Dragon's Crushing Fang!"** She had said before she lunged at Maria whose eyes widen in surprise from the bluenette attacking her more than the attack itself.

Deciding not to move from her spot, Maria lifted her hand and aimed at Wendy before she launched an attack of her own

 **"Heavenly Light!"** Wendy's eyes widen from the upcoming beam of light and quickly used her magic to dodge the attack mid-air.

"I'm pretty impressed little one; I never thought someone as weak as you would wield such powerful magic," Maria taunted while shaking her head in disapproval; angering Wendy who was now more than eager to show the blonde otherwise.

Wendy skidded back on the ground few feets away from Maria. Wasting now time she quickly jumped into the air to execute another attack on the blonde.

 **"Sky Dragon's Wing Attack!"** Maria, who didn't expect Wendy to attack her again so quickly, took the attack head on as she was not able to escape once she noticed the upcoming attack that she assumed was weak like the first one, but she was gravely mistaken by that because the next thing she knew she found herself hissing in pain from the many scraps that now graced her skin and continued to continuously hurt her even after the attack has faded.

"I have to admit, this one was rather painful, but don't be mistaken little one; that's the last time you'll ever get your chance to land an attack on me," Maria replied while suppressing her pain so Wendy wouldn't know the extent of the pain her attack caused her so the bluenette would lose her confidence.

Wendy didn't reply and instead just frowned while she thought of possible ways to inflict more damage on the blonde in front of her.

When she came up with something, she smirked before she inhaled a large amount of air and rushed at the blonde who prepared to deflect the upcoming attack from the blonde but widened her eyes when Wendy just jumped above her high into the air.

 **"Sky Dragon's Roar!"** She said while being upside down in the air behind Maria who didn't have time to spin around; resulting in her taking the attack and being blown into one of the hall's wall.

"You did it, Wendy!" Carla cried in happiness as she went to her partner's side to greet her, but was forced to move when a beam of light made it's way towards her.

"Stupid cat...You think that I am that weak?" Maria said as she climbed out of the wall's debris few minutes after Wendy's attack.

Maria stopped and glared daggers at Wendy, who flinched in return, before flashing her a wicked grin before she stretched both her hands towards Wendy.

 **"Enlightenment!"** A massive beam of white and pure light came out from her hands and made it's way towards Wendy in intense speed, a speed that prevented the bluenette to escape.

"Wendy no!" Carla cried in despair as she saw the beam that headed towards her partner; tears were starting to cascade down her cheeks as she saw that Wendy had no chance to escape from the attack that made it's way towards her at full speed.

* * *

Wendy closed her eyes; embracing herself for the powerful attack that would result in either her death or a grave wound that would force her to forfeit out of the fight.

As she waited for the attack to make contact, many things swirled trough her mind.

Her time with Grandinee, her life as a member of Cait Shelter, the Nirvana incident where she met Natsu and the rest of his team, how Fairy Tail happily took her with open hands, and most importantly Natsu and the impact he had on her life despite not completely comprehending it.

The bluenette was sad that she didn't get a chance to try and make sense of her newfound feelings for the one she once considered to be like a brother to her. She remembered the pain she saw in his eyes when they got out of the train in Oak town, and she wanted nothing more than to help him with that like he always helped her when she needed it.

She adored Natsu because of his ability to always push his feelings aside and focus on his comrades who he considered to be his family, how he would never show any weakness and would always be their light that vanquished the darkness whenever they needed it.

She knew that if she lived then, everything would change; she would no longer stall time and would try to make sense of the feelings she has yet to figure out as soon as possible, she would prove to be one of the guild's strongest members; she'll make Natsu and Grandinee proud!

The petite Dragon Slayer felt the attack closing it's distance to being mere inches away from colliding with her. In the background she heard her exceed cry, and it broke her heart, but she knew that on her own she couldn't dodge the attack and Carla was too far to help her, but to her surprise she suddenly felt like she was grabbed by something and slung into the air; helping her to dodge the attack that collided with the wall behind her a second afterward.

When Wendy opened her eyes in bewilderment, she looked at whatever was lifting her up to the air and was surprised to see Happy there with tears in his eyes.

"Natsu would never give me fish if I would've let that attack hit you and Carla will never talk to me," Wendy believed his excuse, but she knew that it wasn't the whole thing, she knew that the blue feline cared a great deal for her so even if it wasn't for his fish or Carla he would've still saved her without hesitation; That's just how Happy was.

"Happy..." Carla whispered to herself in shock as she watched how her blue companion saved Wendy, and she couldn't be more grateful for him to that.

While Happy and Wendy were in the air none of them noticed the small beam of light that made it's way towards them in an attempt to shoot them down. No on except for Carla who gasped in surprise before she tried warning the duo but was too late. The attack has already pierced Wendy's lower abdomen; causing her to exhale all her air as blood came sprouting out of the wound.

"Wendy!" Happy cried out as he became aware of the hit Wendy and looked worryingly at her before placing her on the ground next to Carla, who immediately rushed to Wendy's side with tears streaming down her white fur once again.

"I...I'm okay," The bluenette weakly said as she struggled to get up on her feet with her hand putting pressure on the wound and healing it in the process; making the two exceeds to sigh in relief, but fear started to make itself known as they saw how shakily Wendy walked towards Maria, who kept her wicked grin.

"You should give up little one,"

"I am never going to give up because I'm a Fairy Tail wizard!" Wendy vigorously shouted with both her hands at her side with her fist clenched before she stood still so she could focus on extracting the last remaining of her strength to the next attack that she hoped would sway the battle in her favor.

Wendy gave Carla a quick glance which the exceed answered with a nod before rushing towards Maria, who had her defenses up.

Mid-way towards Maria Carla arrived and picked Wendy up high to the air; surprising Maria who thought Wendy would try to come at her just like last time.

The blonde looked at her and widened her eyes when Carla dropped Wendy high into the air, but the next thing that Wendy did caught her by surprise.

 **"Sky Dragon's Claw!"** Wendy cried with the remaining of her strength before launching the powerful attack towards Maria, who was still flabbergasted.

A few minutes afterward; when the dust from the attack has settled, Maria could be found lying on the floor unconscious and Wendy kneeling while she panted hard.

"You did it, Wendy!" Both exceeds said in joy as they approached the bluenette.

"You should rest before we continue Wendy," Carla said as she scanned the many scraps and wounds Wendy had on her from the fight as well as the hole in her lower abdomen which has yet to be completely healed.

Wendy looked at Carla and Happy, flashed them a weak smile and lied down on the floor as exhaustion overtook her.

* * *

Natsu continued to stride past the dark, spacious halls of the _"Crimson Basilisk"_ Guild hall for quite some time before he heard a couple of vague, but familiar voices ahead of him; making him pick up his speed and run towards the source.

When he reached the source of the voices he was more than happy to see Happy and Carla; flashing them his toothy grin before his gaze caught the unconscious form of Wendy that made him frown before rushing at her side, worry written all over the salmon-haired.

"Wendy! Is she ok?"

"She's fine. She just got exhausted from her fight," Carla reassured Natsu, who sighed in relief while pointing at the unconscious Maria.

When Natsu looked at Maria, he widened his eyes from the damage the girl had. He could sense her magic energy, and because of that, he knew that Maria was not an enemy to underestimate.

He gave the unconscious form of Maria a deadly glare before ditching the glare for a knowing look when he reverted his gaze back at Wendy.

"When will she wake up?" Natsu asked Carla.

"Pretty soon I suppose, thanks to her being a healing type wizard she can recover from injuries quicker," Natsu just nodded before he sat next to Wendy; maintaining his gaze that showed pure pride in the bluenette who he, unlike everyone else, knew how strong she really was.

And so, Natsu and the rest continued to sit by the unconscious bluenette who fought valiantly for her friends, her family, her cherished one, and most importantly, herself, but they knew that the fight has yet to be over; they still had the leader of _"Crimson Basilisk"_ to confront, and Natsu and the exceeds knew that this fight wouldn't be like the fights before it.

* * *

 ** _(Half An Hour Later...)_**

Natsu and the exceeds continued to sit by Wendy. During this time Natsu has fallen asleep with his back against the wall with Happy on his knees while Carla continued to stay wide awake; one could think that she exerted no energy during the whole ordeal.

Carla, who had her gaze at the sleeping duo quickly snapped her gaze at Wendy when the latter started to stir.

"Ah, where am I?" Wendy asked in perplexion as she sat up with her hand holding her head as she slowly started to open her eyes to survey her surroundings.

Upon hearing Wendy's voice Natsu and Happy instantly snapped out of their nap and were now wide awake; Happy with tears of happiness in his eyes and Natsu with his toothy grin.

When Wendy surveyed her surroundings, she was surprised to see Natsu there since he wasn't with them before, but as she continued to stare at his toothy grin she noticed something... The usual toothy grin was different than before, it had feelings behind it other than sheer happiness, and those feelings made Wendy to feel her insides getting warm from the happiness she felt even though she didn't completely understand the feelings behind the grin.

"Natsu you look hurt! Have you fought someone as well?" Wendy asked as her gaze on Natsu lowered towards his body as if checking him up; making Natsu blush slightly from the look Wendy had.

"You liiiiiike each other!" Happy chimed while stifling a laugh; earning a glare from both Dragon Slayers.

"Y-Yeah I fought some dude that used the same Magic Bisca and Alzack use. He got the jump on me a few times, but I kicked his ass!" Natsu said in irritation before switching to pride as he told Wendy how he kicked Ao's ass; ignoring Happy's remark.

"I never thought otherwise Natsu," Wendy said in no surprise, returning Natsu's grin as she listened to the details of his fight.

"You two do realize that we still have to face the leader of this guild right?" Carla asked; making both Dragon Slayers to stop their talking and to direct their gaze at Carla with looks that showed the white feline that they indeed have forgotten about the leader.

*sigh*

"I can't believe you two. Anyway, we should get moving so we could find the leader and be done with this as soon as possible," Carla said in exasperation before both Dragon Slayers looked at each other, nodded, and got up from their seats and continued their walks around the dim, spacious halls of the dark guild they were sent to eliminate.

* * *

Wendy, Natsu and the exceeds continued to pace through the halls in search for the leader of the guild they were sent to eliminate.

They continued to look for any lead that will get them close to the leader, and they were starting to lose hope, but apparently luck was on their sides because after searching for quite some time, entering every room they passed by, they came to a door once again, but this door looked a bit different than the others.

While the other doors they encountered were made only of a very simple wood and a stone frame, this one was made of a much fancier wood that had a white stone as it's frame unlike the normal frame of the other doors that was made out of the cave itself.

"This room looks important," Wendy said as she gazed at the new, odd door in awe, admiring its design.

"Meh," Natsu said before he ignited his leg and resumed to kick the door, breaking it off its hinges and sending it flying into the room.

Wendy wanted to show her disapproval of the Dragon Slayer behavior but the only problem was that there wasn't any disapproval, she liked his behavior and funny antics; that's what made Natsu himself, and she wouldn't change it for anything.

"Let's get inside the room," She resorted to saying as she and the rest walked into the room that like the hall leading to it was dimly lit.

"It looks like this room is empty as well," Wendy said with her shoulders now slumped as she scanned the room that appeared to be empty as well.

She turned around to leave the room with the exceeds in tow when she saw that Natsu stayed still in his place and was gazing intently at a certain point in the room.

"Is everything ok Natsu?" Wendy worryingly asked her fellow Dragon Slayer as she came next to him and looked at the same way he looked only to gasp slightly in surprise when she saw what appeared to the outline of a figure.

"Well Well... I guess Ao and Maria weren't worth the title of two of the strongest in the guild, what a shame. Oh well, I'll finish what they started then," The figure words were aimed at Natsu and Wendy who didn't look fazed by it.

As the figure continued to stride towards Wendy and Natsu, who both eagerly waited for her approach in their battle stance, the more the two Dragon Slayers and the exceeds could see the figure.

The figure was a buxom and tanned girl that looked to be the same height as Natsu; her hair looked to be crimson red that cascaded down all the way to her lower back, her eye color violet purple. Her attire consisted of a short red dress with white outlines that hugged her busty figure well and gave the curious ones a good look due to its cleavage and the ample view on her slender legs that were wrapped by nothing more than brown combat boots.

The figure looked at both Wendy and Natsu with lust which was evident by how she licked her lips upon her sight of them; making Wendy to shriek in fright while Natsu remained stoic.

"So, you're the intruders who brought havoc to my guild huh?" The girl spite with malice and venom as she gave the two Dragon Slayers and the two exceeds look of disgust.

"Heh, that would be us, and who are you? Another weak member?" Natsu mocked triumphantly only to have the feeling of triumph vanish with the next thing the female in front of him said.

"Another weak member? No, I'm the leader of this guild," The girl replied with a sick grin that sent a shiver down the two Dragon Slayers back.

Natsu flashed the girl a grin of his own; happy to finally find a worthy enemy.

Wendy for her part frowned from the girl statement alongside Happy and Carla who matched her feeling.

"Let's go then. I'm itching for a good fight since I kicked that guy Ao's ass earlier," Natsu said as he gestured for the leader of the guild to come at him.

"Okay then, but before, what are your names?"

"Heh, I'm Natsu, and this is Wendy, we're Fairy Tail wizards," Natsu said nonchalantly.

"I'm Atsumi, but that's not important because you'll die soon anyway," She said before she got into her battle stance; making Natsu raise his guard for the upcoming attack.

 **"Sacred Guardian Beast: Crimson Basilisk of despair!"** Atsumi cried before a bright light flooded the room and revealing a massive crimson basilisk once the light has faded.

"W-What is this? How did you summon something so big?" Wendy asked in horror as she saw the crimson basilisk in front of her standing by his summoner side, waiting for orders.

"Arc of Embodiment. This lost magic allows me to materialize any figment of my imagination," Atsumi said with her sick grin before she ordered to Basilisk to attack Natsu and Wendy who managed to dodge its bite.

Atsumi saw the smirks of Natsu and Wendy once they dodged the bite and it made her irritated.

"You shouldn't be quick to consider yourself lucky just yet; you have just seen a small fragment of my magic's capability,"

"Heh, if the rest of your magic is like this then we'll kick your ass for sure!" Natsu had mocked before he shot a fire roar towards the basilisk.

 **"Fire Dragon's Roar!"** The roar swirled through the air and crashed head on at the basilisk who did no effort to evade it.

"Pfff. Too easy," Natsu said as he saw the body of the now burning basilisk with a grin before a frown replaced it shortly after when the fire from his roar died down and revealed the basilisk who seem to be unhurt from Natsu's attack.

"Haha. You think the legendary Basilisk will perish under those weak flames?" Atsumi mocked Natsu; making a tick mark to appear on Natsu's forehead in response.

"My flames are not weak!" Natsu argued in seething anger before he lunged at the Basilisk with his flaming fist.

 **"Fire Dragon's Crushing Fang!"** Natsu cried as he hit the Basilisk's head, sending it crashing into the wall.

Natsu had no time to spend as the Basilisk came hurling out of the wall and straight toward Natsu mere seconds after he crashed into it; his mouth wide open as he prepared to devour the salmon-haired boy who dared to inflict damage on him.

Natsu wasn't unfazed from the upcoming Basilisk and instead just ignited his fist in preparation for it, but got distracted when he heard Wendy cry something to him in distress.

"Natsu watch out! His teeth are full of venom!" Wendy shouted to Natsu who nodded before he dodged yet another attack from the massive snake.

"Dammit!" Atsumi quietly hissed in frustration from the ongoing game of cat and mouse between her Basilisk and Natsu; wanting it to end already with Natsu's death.

 **"Golden Sword!"** She cried as she lunged at Natsu with her now formed sword in her right hand.

Natsu, who had his focus set entirely on the massive creature in front of him, quickly snapped his focus upon hearing Atsumi's voice; widening his eyes slightly as he saw her rushing at him with a big, golden sword in her right hand.

"Jeez, what a pain," Natsu snorted before he dashed at Atsumi; jumping into the air when he was mere centimeters from her and igniting his leg.

"Fire Dragon's Claw!" He slammed his leg at Atsumi who managed to block the attack with her sword in the last second and was now engaged in a power struggle between her sword and Natsu's attack.

* * *

After several minutes of long and hard power struggle between the two enemies Atsumi managed to deflect Natsu's attack off of her and send him back; giving her a room to breath and regain her composure.

"I...I have to admit that you do seem to hold some power, but not enough to eliminate me," Atsumi said between pants while glaring at Natsu who grinned in response.

"Heh," Natsu said after wiping his mouth with his left hand.

 **"Sacred Guardian Beast: Snow Tiger of supremacy!"** Atsumi cried as a golden light erupted in the room before revealing a snow white tiger standing by her side with his canine showing.

"Attack!" She ordered the tiger who wasted no time in rushing at Natsu who ignited his fist; a smirk on his face as he waited for the white tiger to come closer.

He was so focused on the tiger that Natsu didn't notice Atsumi who vanished from her last spot and was now behind him with her sword; slashing Natsu's back and making him hiss in pain from the slash across his back as he went down to his knees.

When the tiger approached Natsu, he swung his fist at him from his place on the floor and sent the Tiger back slightly which gave him a short time to get back on his feet and face Atsumi.

"A good fighter never takes his eyes off from the true enemy," She taunted with a vicious smirk.

"Shut up!" Natsu said before he quickly swung his fist with great speed thanks to the stream of fire that erupted from his elbow; sending her crashing into the wall.

 **"Fire Dragon's Flame Elbow!"**

* * *

*cough cough* "That was the one and only chance you'll have in hitting me," Atsumi said between her coughs as she exited the debris few minutes after Natsu's attack.

"Basilisk, Tiger, attack!" She ordered in seething anger.

"Bring it on!" Natsu taunted with his hand motioning for the two beasts that were rushing at him to keep coming at him.

Once the beasts were close to him Natsu rushed at the tiger; using him as a jumping platform for the attack he was going to perform.

 **"Fire Dragon's Roar!"** He said mid-air with his head facing downward where the two beasts skidded to stop after the disappearance of their target.

The two beasts cried in agony as the flame whose color was slightly different than the previous attacks continued to burn them; making Atsumi widen her eyes in shock.

"H-How? Your fire didn't work on Basilisk before," She asked

"Heh," Was Natsu's only reply before landing with his back at the now burnt down beasts.

"Damn you! Damn you!" She screamed at him in spite before summoning yet another thing with her magic.

"Sacred Guardian Beasts: Centaurs!" A bright light erupted once again in the room before revealing an army of what Natsu assumed to be twenty Centaurs.

 _'They remind me of Sagittarius!'_ Natsu thought as he saw the familiar yet different in appearance Horse and Human hybrids.

"Attack him Centaurs!" Atsumi commanded the Centaurs who aimed their bows at Natsu.

* * *

 _ **(Meanwhile...)**_

Wendy, Carla, and Happy watched the fight with mixed feelings.

Awe from the unique magic their opponent possessed, horror from the great damage her summons inflicted on Natsu, and hope that despite everything Natsu will emerge victorious with as fewer injuries as possible.

The bluenette watched as Natsu continued to battle the army of Centaurs with his usual vigor.

 _'There's no one who's more excited to fight than Natsu is'_ She concluded to herself with a smile.

She gasped when she saw an arrow pierce Natsu's chest.

"Natsu!" She cried in panic; hoping that her fellow Dragon Slayer was ok

"I'm ok Wendy" He reassured the bluenette with a weak voice before hissing in pain while he removed the arrow.

Wendy exhaled a breath she didn't know she was holding after hearing Natsu's reassurance.

 _'You can do this Natsu!'_ She thought to herself in unadulterated confidence while she continued to focus intently on Natsu.

But Wendy's focus didn't last for long as she was forced to dodge an incoming attack from behind.

Once she turned around to see the source of the attack she saw a group of five people who she assumed were a part of the dark guild.

* * *

"Wendy!" Natsu cried in worry as he saw Wendy facing off against five peoples; worry started to flood him.

"I'm ok Natsu, you should focus on beating the leader," Wendy reassured her moments before she had to jump into the air to dodge another incoming attack from one of the dark guild members.

Natsu just nodded while a smirk adorned his face; putting his full faith in Wendy who he knew was very strong.

"This girl seems to care a lot about you," Atsumi stated while narrowing her gaze at Wendy.

Natsu and the Centaurs have been fighting for quite some time now, and so far Natsu seemed to be doing fine but was starting to get frustrated. The salmon-haired managed to knock out fifteen Centaurs with his attacks despite a few arrows that managed to pierce his body, but to his luck, the pierced places were not vital.

Natsu smiled when he thought about Wendy; many unresolved emotions were flooding him.

He was so focused on his thoughts that he didn't see Atsumi flashing him a sick, vicious grin before she vanished from her spot in front of him.

 **"Iron Spear!"** She said when she appeared behind Wendy who widened her eyes from the voice behind her, but it was too late for her.

"Ahhhhhhh!" Wendy cried in agony as the spear pierced her chest; making Wendy spit out blood before collapsing to the ground.

"Wendy!" Natsu cried in sorrow as he saw the horrifying sight of Wendy being pierced, the exceeds gasping in terror from the gruesome scene as well.

When he saw Wendy collapse to the ground while the five dark guild members surrounding her with a pool of blood around her it finally dawned on him, the meaning behind his unresolved feelings, and now that he knew the meaning behind them he would make sure with every fiber of his being that Wendy would live so he could tell her.

He narrowed his gaze at Atsumi, who laughed maniacally at the reaction of her enemies, with a gaze that showed the unadulterated fury and sorrow he felt at the moment, Scales started to appear on his face.

"You'll pay for this!"


	4. Chapter 4

**_AN: Hey guys and welcome to the fourth chapter of "Dragon Masters Of Fairy Tail."_**

 _ **I want to apologize to you all for the delay. I had some troubles writing this chapter.**_

 _ **I am also happy to announce that I am currently working on few Bleach stories! There's still quite some time before I'll publish them but things are shaping out nicely, and it won't be long before they are published so keep an eye on those if you're interested.**_

 ** _I don't have anything else to say other that I hope you'll enjoy this chapter and for you to Follow, Favorite, and Review the story while being civilized in your review._**

 ** _Now, without further ado here is the chapter. Enjoy!_**

"Talking."

 _'Thoughts.'_

 _"Quotation."_

 **"Attacks."**

* * *

At first, he couldn't believe it. The spear that pierced her chest, the blood that continues to flood the floor more and more with each passing second, and the lifeless, limp body of his fellow guild member and Dragon Slayer who has been the subject of his thoughts for quite some time now.

He didn't want to believe it! But yet, there she was lying on the ground as her blood continued to leave her body as the last efforts of breathing through the blood that sprawled out of her mouth became difficult with each passing second.

 _'Wendy...'_ He thought in sorrow as his heart continued to crack just like a broken window.

He felt himself get lighter as every emotion he knew started to fade. His solidified resolve to always protect his friends, his family at Fairy Tail no matter what, now felt like nothing more than an empty promise he failed to keep.

But Wendy was more than just an ordinary member of his ever growing family. She was a fellow Dragon Slayer who understood the anguish he felt each day more than anyone else; she was a girl who never lost hope no matter how grim the situation was, a girl who always managed to light up even the darkest moments. For him, that was Wendy Marvell.

But, when he saw her lying on the ground with the members of the dark guild surrounding her as they laughed at the weak girl who was defeated he finally understood, he understood the feelings that kept nagging him.

He couldn't exactly name it, but he knew that unlike anyone else from his family, he'd die with no hesitation if it meant to keep her safe, he'd travel all across the world in search for the things that would make her happy, and he would go up against the mightiest wizard all on his own if he ever saw any signs of sadness adorn her; those were feelings he had never felt towards anyone in his family.

Sure, he would risk his life for his family and friends but not like he would for Wendy. Nothing he was willing to do for his family and friends could compare to what he was ready to do for Wendy.

"Wendy!" He faintly heard the cries of the exceeds; cries full of sorrow and despair upon seeing the struck Dragon Slayer.

As he continued to gaze at Wendy in disbelief among the many emotions that swirled through him, he felt blackness starting to cloud his vision.

* * *

When he opened his eyes, he was met with nothing but darkness; making him confused.

"Where the hell am I?!" He asked in frustration; hoping that someone would hear his question and will provide an answer.

"Natsu!" He froze upon hearing the voice who called his name, a voice he recognized too well. After all, how could he forget this booming voice that could intimidate you to no end if you were an enemy but at the same time envelope you with love if you were an ally, a voice that showed the title of its possessor with no need to say it out loud, a voice of supremacy and pride; this was the voice he grew up with, the voice of his father, Igneel.

"I-Igneel! Is that really you?" Natsu questioned in bewilderment as he spun around, and true to his thoughts there his father was, standing with all his might.

The Dragon, however, did not answer his son's question and continued to stare intently at him for what seems like forever to the salmon-haired, but in reality was only a few seconds.

"Igneel... You bastard! Where did you disappear to? I have looked for you everywhere!" Natsu practically screamed at his father in joy at finally finding the one he searched for so many years.

He looked at Igneel with burning anticipation in his eyes as he waited for the Dragon in front of him to answer his question.

"I'm sorry Natsu, but I'm afraid I can't tell you. You see, my time here is limited, but before I leave I have something to give you," Igneel replied in sadness as he gazed down at the form of his son.

There were so many things he wished he could tell his son, but that wasn't why he appeared in front of him now. No, his reason for appearing in front of Natsu was far greater than to catch up.

"Natsu! Do you remember what I taught you? Do you remember what you are? Go!, take the power I'm about to give you and do what any other Dragon would do to protect his mate, devour any threat that comes her way with your brilliant flames!" Igneel roared in a commanding tone; ditching the sad demeanor he possessed seconds before.

Natsu smirked upon hearing his father's speech, but there was one thing he didn't understand, why he was referring to Wendy as his mate and what did it mean? He was about to ask his father about it but before he could voice his question out loud he saw him flapping his wings with a large torrent of flame erupted from beneath the Dragon Slayer shortly after; surprising him greatly.

When he was enveloped in the flames, he instantly knew that these flames were nothing like his own, these were the flames of his father,

"Embrace the flames Natsu! Absorb them and treat them as your own, that is my gift for you," Natsu did as his father told and quickly he inhaled the flames.

When he finished absorbing the flames, he saw his father standing with a smirk on his face as he slowly started to fade.

"Good job Natsu! but it seems my time here has passed. I wish you good luck, I'll see you soon when the time is right." Igneel said in sadness as his gaze on his son softened.

"Igneel don't go, please! I have so much to ask you! So much to tell you!" Natsu cried to his father in sadness from losing him once again just when he saw him after all this time; his hand attempting to reach out to his father but to no avail.

* * *

While it seemed like a long time has passed in the darkness, Natsu and Igneel were at, in the real world it has been only a few short seconds.

When Natsu opened his eyes once again, he felt a surge of power like he has never felt before, making him realize that what happened with Igneel was real and not a hallucination.

He narrowed his gaze at Atsumi, a gaze that showed pure fury and sorrow behind it as scales started to form on his face and body; making Atsumi pale in response to the transformation which brought a huge surge of power from the salmon-haired boy in front of her.

"W-What the hell is this?" She asked aghast as the power continued to grow.

"You'll pay for this!" Natsu bellowed; his voice sounding deeper than usual; causing the exceeds to turn their gaze towards him only to widen their eyes in terror from the transformation Natsu is undergoing and the power he's emitting.

They all stood frozen in their spot, their eyes glued to the Dragon Slayer in front of them as absolute terror could be seen when looking into their eyes, but Natsu didn't see any of it; he only saw those who fatally injured Wendy and his instincts screamed their lust for the blood of his enemies despite his rejection towards the idea of killing anyone.

At last, after standing in his spot for what seemed like long, stressful minutes, Natsu lunged at the members of the dark guild with inhumane speed. An afterimage left in his previous spot.

Atsumi didn't understand what had happened until she heard the cries of her teammates before few loud thuds were heard; making her look around in panic only to lose all the color in her face when she saw her fellow members lying lifeless on the floor with their throats slit as blood came gushing out of it; spraying the walls and the floor.

"W-What are you? You monster!" She stuttered as she struggled to contain the bile that threatened to emerge unwillingly from her mouth at the hideous sight.

Natsu for his part remained passive and continued to give Atsumi one of the ghastliest glare a person could maintain; making her shiver in fright.

"I'm going to make you pay for killing my guild members! I'm going to make you regret ever stepping inside this place!" She roared in anger after recovering from her fright; letting out a battle cry as she rushed at Natsu with her bloody spear stretched forward.

Natsu just stayed in his spot like a statue glued to its foundation until Atsumi's spear has started to touch his skin.

"W-Where the hell did you go?! You coward!" She bellowed in spite after Natsu vanished just as her spear made contact with his scales; her guard raised up more than usually as she started to spin around and search for the dreadful Dragon Slayer before he would land what could be the last strike of this fight.

She froze when she heard a noise behind her and quickly spun on her heels just in time to block a blazing fist aimed at her head.

A triumphant grin adorned her face as she managed to hold her ground and force the salmon-haired to retreat.

"Is that all you have got? Pff," Her taunts were answered with an unhappy growl from the man in front of her before he once again vanished from his spot only to appear above her with his blazing feet ready to crush her skull.

 **"Fire Dragon's Claw!"**

Once again she managed to deflect the hit in the last second but this time the flames from the attack managed to burn a part of her head and making her scream in agony as Natsu retreated.

He wasted no time waiting for his opponent to recover from her pain; his instincts continuing to scream at him for more; more agony and blood from the one who dared to hurt his mate.

Natsu in his current state of mind did not manage to overcome his instincts and just succumbed to them with hopes that in the end, everything will be alright.

And so, right after he landed back to the floor he immediately launched a flaming roar towards her.

 **"Fire Dragon's Roar!"**

Atsumi who still held her head in agony widened her eyes in absolute horror upon hearing yet another attack being launched her way.

As her mind flushed away any trace of the searing pain she felt as adrenaline continued to pump at her veins; allowing her to recompose herself quickly enough to start spinning her spear fast enough so it could block the roar.

For a few seconds, the mighty roar of the Dragon Slayer and the golden spear of the dark guild leader fought for supremacy.

Atsumi knew that death could overcome her if she screws up even one spin of her spear and so, she continued to spin it with so much vigor despite the excruciating pain in her muscles.

Just as she thought her hands would give up and fall off her body the torrent of brilliant flames from her opponent has stopped; making her smirk slightly before collapsing to her knees as she tried her hardest to regain her breath again.

"T-That was... Impressive..." She confessed to Natsu as she clutched her chest hard as she tried to compose herself so she could continue to fight.

But, once again any sort of communication made by the leader of the dark guild fell on deaf ears.

She assumed that Natsu was exhausted as well due to how still he stood but her thoughts were proven to be wrong when his body started to be enveloped in flames.

 **"Crimson Lotus: Phoenix Blade!"** He cried before propelling himself towards Atsumi who was too exhausted to try and defend herself.

She didn't even have time to react when she felt all her air leaving her as the sound of bones cracking could be heard aloud in the room.

When Natsu finished his attack, he looked back at his opponent, who laid down in the pool of her own blood while her body was twisted in unnatural ways due to the breaking of her bones, he smirked as a feeling of satisfaction washed over him as the scales started to vanish from his body; signaling his return to his normal form.

Once the last of the scales has faded Natsu was about to collapse, but his thoughts wandered back to Wendy who was still dying from the hole in her chest; allowing Natsu to regain enough of energy to maintain consciousness until Wendy will be safe.

"How is she?" Natsu asked in stress as he gazed at the dying Wendy in front of him.

"She's alive, but she won't be if we won't get help," Happy and Natsu grimaced from Carla's words.

"Natsu..." Wendy faintly said as she caught sight of her fellow Dragon Slayer before resuming to vomit blood again.

"Wendy don't talk! focus on keeping your eyes open until we get you some help!" Carla commanded her partner as she placed her paw on her cheek; tears were cascading down the cheeks of the two females as well as from the blue feline that stood beside Carla as he tried his hardest to fight against the dam that threatened to break.

"Don't worry Wendy! We're going to get you help, and then you'll be just fine," Natsu said with his toothy grin; providing slight comfort for the dying bluenette.

"T-Thank you Natsu, but I think that it might be too late," Wendy's response sent shivers down the spines of everyone.

"Don't worry Wendy; I'll never let you die!" Natsu said with so much confidence that Wendy's thoughts about succumbing to the expanding blackness in her eyesight have started to be replaced with thoughts about the things she'll miss if she would succumb to the growing darkness.

"We can't spend any more time! Natsu grab her and go as fast as you can to the nearest hospital!" Carla commanded between her sobs.

"Roger that!" Natsu said before he walked away from the group and looked at the ceiling with a smirk.

 **"Fire Dragon's Roar!"** The ceiling came down crushing as the light started to flood the room; signaling that opening of a new path outside.

Natsu quickly rushed back to Wendy and picked her bridal style before asking Happy to pick him up.

Spending no time, they both quickly left the guild hall through the new hall Natsu has made with Carla in tow.

"Sorry Carla, but we have to go fast," Natsu said before setting his foots ablaze; giving Happy a large boost in speed.

Carla could only smile in gratitude as she muttered to herself things along the lines of an idiot Pinkett and he-cat before trying to follow the trail of smoke left by Natsu; all the while praying that Wendy will live to see another day.

* * *

"Ahh. Where am I?" Wendy asked herself as she struggled to open her eyes only to close them shut once again when a bright light overwhelmed them.

Slowly she tried opening them once again, and after adjusting herself to the blind light, she managed to see her surroundings.

She was in a room made entirely out of white, her petite body lying down on a bed as a chair stood beside it.

Wendy frowned upon seeing the exaggerated whiteness of the room, and it made her sarcastically think that she might have ascended to heaven.

But, the bluenette had no time to laugh at her own joke as an overwhelming headache caught her off-guard and caused her to wince in pain as she tightly grabbed it as the memories of what happened flooded her brain.

Gasping, the petite Dragon Slayer started to sob uncontrollably at the thoughts of the possibility that her little joke actually came to fruition.

"I...I'm dead?" She asked, her lips quivering with each syllable.

She started to think of the sorrowful consequences of her death that made her sobbing to increase as she struggled to comprehend it.

No more Fairy Tail and it's cheery atmosphere, no more talking with her guild friends, no more missions with her team.

But, it was the last three consequences that made her cry the most.

No more searching for Grandeeney, no more Carla, and no more Natsu.

She was so focused on grieving about her life that she didn't notice the new warmness that enveloped her tender arm.

"Why are you crying silly?" A tender, yet familiar voice asked her; making her jump as she quickly snapped her gaze towards the source of it only to have a huge grin adorn her face as utter joy overthrew the feeling of sorrow.

"N-Natsu?" She failed to believe that it was real, but at the same time, she couldn't stop the joy she was feeling at seeing her fellow Dragon Slayer standing with the two Exceeds hovering beside him; both with tears in their eyes.

She quickly assumed a sitting position; struggling to overcome the intense pain her chest generated.

But to her dismay, once she managed to sit she instantly got knocked back down by a ball of blue fur that struck her chest with great speed; causing her to hiss in pain.

"Wendy!" Happy said between his sobs of happiness as he hugged the bluenette.

The bluenette just flashed him a sincere smile as she gently patted his head before averting her gaze towards Natsu and Carla, who smirked in return.

"Wendy! I am glad that you're ok!" Carla said after landing near Wendy and placing her paw on the Dragon Slayer's leg.

"Yeah, you really scared us back there," Natsu said with his toothy grin; his hands resting behind his head.

His grin; this was one of the things the petite Dragon Slayer loved about him so much.

His grin that could lighten the mood even in the darkest hours, and could cheer up a person in their saddest moments. It was so mesmerizing that she could stare at it for hours and not get tired of it.

Wait... Loved?! She didn't love Natsu; she adored him... right?

If so, then why was her heartbeat quickening every time he looked at her, every time he flashed her that mesmerizing grin of his?

Why did she wish always to stay by his side? And why did she feel so content when she did?

'What is this feeling?' She asked herself in curiosity.

Was it the same love that Grandeeney has spoken about?

Sure, most of the symptoms she was experiencing matched with Grandeeney's explanation, but she wasn't sure:

Her mind kept telling her that it wasn't that. That for her, Natsu was a brotherly figure, a role model, and a dear Nakama.

But, her heart told her otherwise; it told her that the weird feelings she had when it concerned her fellow Dragon Slayer were nothing but love. Not sibling love like her mind tried to suggest. No, love like a romantic couple has, the same love that Grandeeney has told her about.

It took her some time to decide to what part of her she should listen, but once she decided her cheeks turned crimson red; signaling the side she has chosen.

 _'I l-love Natsu'_ She thought to herself, and she couldn't help the joyful smile that crept her face; making her decision to solidify itself even more.

"Is everything alright Wendy? Are you not feeling well?" Natsu asked in worry as he saw how red the bluenette has turned.

"Wha... N-No... I'm fine Natsu," She stammered as she forced her blush to disappear.

"Oh, ok," Wendy sighed in relieve as Natsu decided to drop the subject off.

"So... When can I leave the hospital?" Wendy asked with a tinge of hope in her voice; hoping to return to the lively atmosphere of the guild as soon as possible.

"Well, when the doctor checked up on you about an hour ago he told us that you'd have to rest more before you are discharged," Carla told her.

"I see... How long have I been out?" She asked, the happiness from before being replaced with dread from the unanticipated answer.

"You've been out for three days Wendy. We were worried sick, but the doctor kept telling us that it's normal for this sort of injuries," It was Natsu who replied now, his voice serious as he spoke.

Wendy didn't know how to respond and instead just widened her eyes in astonishment.

"Don't worry Wendy. We'll be back at the guild soon," Natsu reassured her after seeing her reaction.

"Y-Yeah..."

* * *

A day has passed since Wendy has woken up.

It was around afternoon when Wendy has first woken up from her coma, and after being examined by the doctor in the morning afterward she was allowed to leave the hospital.

Natsu and the rest took her to eat something normal to compensate for the lack of food for when she was in her coma as well as the crappy food the hospital provided when she woke up.

Right now, she and the rest of the team were walking towards the train station in hopes to return to the guild as soon as possible.

During their walk towards the train station, they couldn't help to notice that a certain salmon-haired wasn't showing any protest about boarding the train which he referred to as _"The moving death machine."_

"Ok, the train should arrive in a few minutes," Natsu told the rest after buying the tickets for the earliest ride there was.

Once the train has arrived shortly after, Natsu instantly turned green as he saw the death machine he was supposed to board was making a complete stop as the doors opened.

"Come on let's go!" Wendy said as she jogged to the train with the Exceeds flying beside her while Natsu staggered in the back.

* * *

Natsu, Wendy, and the Exceeds arrived at the guild around six hours since their departure from Oak Town's train station.

While the train ride has been mostly quiet except for when Natsu threatened to paint the entire carriage in green with his bile as he rolled on the floor in agony, for Wendy it was far from being quiet as she was stuck deep in her thoughts for the entire ride.

 _'I love him?'_ She continued to ask herself as she stole quick glances at her fellow Dragon Slayer. Warmness enveloping her heart with each glance as her cheeks turned crimson.

As the ride progressed further and further, it became harder for Wendy to see Natsu in his current state so she decided to do what Erza would usually do except for the part where she would knock him out cold.

"Natsu you can put your head in my lap and rest if you want," Wendy offered to the salmon-haired who immediately jumped at the chance, but not before sporting a blush.

As she gently stroked his hair, she noticed how serene he was, and any trace of bile has all but vanished.

She gently smiled when she heard his breathing becoming shallow; signaling his defeat to his exhaustion.

As Wendy continued to stroke his hair long after the boy in her lap has fallen asleep, she couldn't stop thinking about two things that made her heart clench.

 _'If I tell him how I feel, will he return these feelings? Even for a little girl like me?'_

She struggled with these thoughts for hours, thinking about the possibility of Natsu rejecting her because of her age, or for another girl in the guild like Lucy or Mirajane.

She looked out the window into the dusk outside and smiled upon seeing the familiar surroundings as the train continued to get closer to Magnolia.

It wasn't long before the train has made a complete stop in Magnolia's station, and Wendy couldn't wait to return to the guild so once the doors to the compartment has opened Wendy spent no time and quickly woke Natsu and Happy up and took Carla in her hands before rushing outside the train with the groggy Natsu and Happy following.

"It's good to be home," The petite Dragon Slayer said as she inhaled the familiar air of her hometown, Magnolia.

"Yeah!"

"Aye, Sir!" Both Happy and Natsu replied in agreement as the latter jumped with his fist stretched towards the sky.

"C'mon guys let's go back to the guild!" Natsu had said before he and Happy started to dash towards the guild for different reasons.

"These two sure are troublesome," Carla interjected as she shook her head in disapproval of her teammate's antics.

"Let's go, Carla!" Wendy had said with a smile on her face before the two followed their teammates towards the guild in a slow jog.

* * *

Wendy couldn't wait to finally return to the guild.

She wanted to talk to her friends, to congratulate those who passed the S-Class trials, and to confide them with her growing feelings for Natsu in the hope that more experienced adults like Mira, who would probably faint from the news, could offer her advice.

Sure, she was afraid of their reactions when she told them about her feelings, especially Carla's, but she wouldn't let it bring her down; she was the daughter of Grandeeney, and she wouldn't give up on something, or her mother will be disappointed at her.

She came to a complete stop when she saw Natsu standing at the open entrance of the guild with Happy flying beside him; both showing no signs of moving as they looked at the guild from outside.

"Natsu, Happy, is everything ok?" Wendy worryingly asked as she and Carla made their way to stand beside them only to gasp in bewilderment from the sight in front of them.

This wasn't the usual Fairy Tail in there; the guild whose brawls can be heard for miles with the smell of alcohol accompanying it. No, this guild was... different. They looked sad, almost grieving about something as all the members inside barely moved as hollow expressions adorned their faces, and in some of the members faces tear stains could be seen.

"G-Guys... Is everything alright?" Wendy stuttered as she entered the guild.

Nothing, no one even bothered sparing a quick glance at the new arrivals.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Natsu shouted at his guildmates as he couldn't tolerate the deafening silence at the usually cheery guild.

He stormed inside with his fist set on fire as he searched for someone to punch so he could get his answer.

He spotted Macao sitting at the bar with a glass of alcohol in his hand and thought that he would probably be the best person to ask.

He made his way towards him with Wendy and the Exceeds following closely behind.

As he finally arrived at the bar shortly after he was about to deliver a punch to Macao's face when he and the rest heard Macao speaking with a voice full of agony, But it was what he said that made them freeze in their spot as their eyes widened in disbelief.

"They're... gone... The Tenrou group... They're Dead,"

* * *

 _ **AN: I hope you liked the chapter! :) Please don't forget to Follow, Favorite, and Review! I'll see you next chapter.**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**AN: Hey guys and welcome to the fifth chapter of "Dragon Masters Of Fairy Tail."**_

 _ **I want to thank everyone who had Favorited, Followed, and Reviewed!**_

 _ **I don't have much to say other than that I apologize for taking a long time to update as well as a little warning regarding this chapter.**_

 _ **There's going to be OOCness in this chapter to some extent, but know that the only reason I do OOCness is that the plot of the story requires it.**_

 _ **Also, some details may not align correctly with canon, but as I've already said, this fic is an AU one so keep that in mind when reading before writing a review about this or the OOCness.**_

 _ **Now, without further ado, here is the chapter. Enjoy!**_

"Talking."

 _'Thoughts.'_

 _"Quotation."_

 **"Attacks."**

* * *

They're... gone... The Tenrou group... They're Dead," Macao said, his head bowed down as his face continued to drip and stain the bar.

"D...Dead? What are you talking about Macao?" Natsu solemnly asked while he continued to stare intently at Macao as if he searched for any hint of a joke.

He hoped that Macao was joking, he must've been joking right? There's no chance that his friends got killed, there just couldn't be; they were all strong.

They had Master, Mirajane, Erza, Gajeel, the Thunder God Tribe, damn, Even Ice prick Natsu had to admit was quite strong, so there's just no way... So why did his heart already seemed to accept the truth in Macao's words? Why did it hurt so much?

 _'It couldn't be! He's just making a cruel joke; that's how Macao is'_ Natsu found himself in a battle between his heart and mind as they both fought valiantly against each other as to what was true.

While the internal battle the salmon-haired found himself at continued, Wendy and the Exceeds continued to stay petrified as they looked at Macao with widened eyes.

"W-What do you mean Macao?" Wendy stammered in disbelief as she and Happy looked at Macao with sad eyes while Carla just had a horrified look plastered on her face.

Unlike Natsu, Wendy and Happy didn't doubt the truth behind Macao's words, but it didn't mean that they've accepted the death of their dear friends, not even close.

How could they? They meant so much to them; they were their family, friends... They were everything for them; people to confide with your deepest secrets, people who will share your happiness when the universe smiled at you, peoples who will stand valiantly beside you when a threat was looming around the corner.

Having it all suddenly disappear from their lives was devastating and none of the occupants of the guild hall even knew how to begin dealing with such a thing, let alone a young girl like Wendy who still lacked the realization and experience the adults had regarding life.

If there was one thing that could've probably helped the guild members to deal with their loss was seeing the innocent, pure Wendy who was still so clueless about the way life worked as she consistently refused to give up whenever fate wasn't on her side. Just seeing a young girl like Wendy gave them hope in their toughest moments, but now, now they weren't sure that they could count on it to help them get through this hardship.

"Could you tell us what exactly had happened to the Tenrou group?" Carla asked, her face detached and her tone was not showing even a tiny fraction of emotions.

They didn't know whether the Exceed had incredible control over her emotions to the point that she wouldn't even let a small bit of them show, or if it was that she didn't even feel something regarding the news that Macao delivered.

Those who saw the horrid look Carla possessed before she quickly shook it off already knew the answer, even Wendy and the rest who were just told of the news already knew the answer, but the rest of the guild members had found themselves still thinking about the correct answer.

In truth, while Carla had shown disdain over the guild on many occasions, in reality, she liked Fairy Tail quite a lot. It was them who took her and Wendy in as a part of their family when they learned the truth about Cait Shelter, a truth that would've left them to deal with the world by themselves if it wasn't for Fairy Tail.

It was thanks to Fairy Tail that they had the chance to go to Edolas, although not intentionally, where Carla had found the truth behind the mission she had as an Exceed as well as finding more Exceeds like her and Happy.

"From what the council had told us, a Black Dragon appeared during the exams and annihilated Tenrou island with the rest of the guild members who were still there for the exams," Macao explained, his voice still maintaining the anguish he and the rest of the guild felt.

"A Dragon?! Was it Igneel? No... Igneel isn't black! So who was it?" Natsu bellowed in bewilderment as he momentarily forgot about the sad news to focus on the Dragon that seemingly appeared.

He remembered the promise Igneel had given him the last time he met him; a promise to come back, but he didn't think he'll be that quick to fulfill it. But Natsu didn't mind because the sooner his father will return the sooner he'll be able to catch up with him.

"Acnologia... That was his name, at least from what the council had told us,"

Natsu was feeling a bit of excitement from hearing about this Dragon, excitement that lived very briefly before being crushed by the rising anger that he felt towards the same black Dragon.

As much as he wanted to set his hopes up that if this Dragon had suddenly appeared out of nowhere than so could Igneel, Grandeeney, and Metalicana, he just couldn't do it; this was the Dragon who was in charge of the death of many of his dear family members, and he could never forgive him.

"A-A Dragon?" Wendy sputtered in shock upon hearing the mention of a Dragon; hope had started to fill her delicate heart as she thought of this as a sign that her mother and the other Dragons were still waiting for them somewhere.

 _'Grandeeney'_ She thought, her eyes red and puffy.

But she couldn't let herself be distracted with that now; she'll leave it for later. Now... Now she had to deal with the news of the death of their fellow family members; her mother will have to wait just a bit more.

Her mind caught up with the news, and the consequences of what happened had finally sunk on Wendy.

No more Master.

No more Erza.

No more Lucy.

No more Gray.

No more Gajeel.

No more Mirajane.

No more anyone else from the Tenrou Group. She felt like a hole has formed in her heart as the part all of them had in her life has suddenly vanished, leaving her behind to deal with the pain all alone.

When her mind had finished comprehending everything Wendy started to feel lightheaded. She couldn't handle it anymore; she had to get out, to breathe some air and relax from the strain that had been suddenly placed upon her heart and mind.

Her vision was already starting to cloud as the blackness that slowly crept her sight had joined the cloudiness her sobbing had caused. She wiped the tears from her bloodshot eyes so she could look at Natsu and the rest and she frowned when she saw the worried gazes that they sent her way.

She hated it. She hated being the cause of their worry, especially now. She swore to herself, she swore to Grandeeney, that she wouldn't be the weak child everyone had assumed her to be and she would not fail on that promise!

"I-I'm sorry everyone, I'm just going outside to catch some air so please don't worry" She assured them, her voice frail as she spoke.

Natsu and the others just nodded in return, worry still plastered on their face, as they saw Wendy rushing out of the guild.

 _'Wendy...'_ Natsu and Carla thought, both wanting to go after the bluenette, but both abstained as they knew she needed to have some time alone to handle the news.

* * *

After Wendy had left the guild, Natsu and the others had remained glued to their positions as they tried to comprehend the news.

They didn't know how much time had passed since Wendy had rushed out of the guild; was it a few minutes? Or perhaps a few hours? They didn't know as the feeling of time had just left them.

"W-We should go check on Wendy," Natsu said after his thoughts had drifted to the bluenette who was nowhere in their sight, his voice full of concern for the petite Dragon Slayer.

He looked around the guild to find Happy and Carla and frowned when he saw his partner uncontrollably sobbing while Carla tried to comfort him.

He flashed them a weak, apologetic smile before he took off on his own to find Wendy.

He hated the fact that he abandoned Happy and Carla behind, but the thought of them being left behind at the guild with them supporting each other made the guilt he felt to decrease drastically.

"Now, where are you Wendy," He had asked himself before he used his nose to track her scent. When he managed to track her a few seconds afterward his eyes widened in surprise from the location she was at.

How did she know about it and where it was located?

He had released a somber sigh before he took off towards Wendy's location, not knowing what to expect once he reached her.

He hoped that her state wouldn't be as bad as the thoughts that his mind conjured had suggested, but he wasn't expecting her to be perfectly fine either. Damn, even he wasn't fine, he was far from it, but he would suppress his anguish for now until he would be alone.

He was a grown man whose heart and mind had already suffered through some of the evil that the world possessed, but Wendy; she was still a little girl whose heart was as fragile as glass, and he wanted to keep it that way.

"I'm coming Wendy!"

* * *

When she rushed out of the guild, she just continued to run to wherever it was that her feet took her. She didn't have enough in herself to think about the destination, as long as she'll be alone, it was enough.

As she ran many thoughts had flooded her mind; thoughts about the family she had lost.

She thought about how she's going to miss seeing Lucy's spirits, especially Loke.

How she's going to miss seeing Mirajane's reaction whenever anyone from the guild had spoken about a relationship with someone, and how she'll instantly start muttering about babies. But, the thing she'll miss the most about her were the talks she will have with Mirajane when she just got back from a mission.

She found herself also thinking about how she would miss Erza and her strict personality that Wendy had come to adore.

For many Erza was a terrifying person, but for Wendy, she wasn't that terrifying. Sure, Wendy was slightly scared of the scarlet-haired Knight, but she also found her to be inspiring. Her determination to protect the guild and her loyalty to the master and the members, her odd ways of showing the worry she felt for her comrades were amusing for her to watch, and the strength Erza possessed was something Wendy longed to achieve.

And Gray... Gray was like a brother for her.

He cared for her so much, and he wasn't ashamed of mentioning how he thought of her as a little sister as well. She wished for him to finally get together with Juvia so he would finally achieve the happiness that he deserved, but now, it wasn't a chance anymore. Now, the thoughts of Gray and Juvia living happily together belonged only to her imagination.

She found herself returning to reality when her feet had finally brought her to their destination.

Wendy cocked an eyebrow in curiosity as she surveyed her surroundings.

She found herself standing in the middle of what she assumed to be Magnolia's park. She could also see a small, shabby straw house standing in the middle, but the thing that made her gasp in shock wasn't the little house. No, it was the grave that stood in front of it.

She heard about this location many times, mainly from Mira and Erza, but she had never gone to see it during her time at Fairy Tail.

But she knew how Natsu had constructed this grave for Lisanna after her supposed death, despite the grave Lisanna had in Kardia Cathedral.

Back then Lisanna was a big part of Natsu's life, and he wanted to have a place to himself where he can grieve, a place that meant something for the both of them and there wasn't a better place than the straw house where they cared for Happy's egg when they were little.

The bluenette just stood there as she continued to stare intently at the grave while her mind had wandered once again.

"Y'know... I was actually planning on removing her grave ever since she returned from Edolas," Wendy shrieked upon hearing a voice talking to her. She quickly spun on her heels and gasped in surprised when she saw Natsu standing there, his head slightly down and his bangs covering his eyes, his voice full of unexpressed sadness.

Upon seeing Natsu standing beside her at Lisanna's grave, she was struck with sorrow as she realized that this wasn't the first time he grieved the Take-Over's mage death.

"Natsu I-I'm so sorry," She said with a hoarse voice, tears slowly cascading down her cheeks as she enveloped Natsu in a tight embrace.

The salmon-haired didn't find the right words, and instead just rubbed Wendy's head in a supportive manner as he stared at Lisanna's grave.

"We should add graves for Mira and Elfman here as well so they could be with their sister even after their death," Natsu blurted as few tears escaped his eyes.

"Yes, I think that's a good idea Natsu," Wendy nodded in agreement, her voice cracking as she spoke.

And with that thought out of their mind, the two Dragon Slayers had continued to stare at Lisanna's grave in pain as they continued to maintain their embrace.

"We should probably head back Wendy," Natsu suggested when he felt Wendy involuntary shiver from the cold breeze that had suddenly enveloped them.

Wendy just nodded weakly, not uttering a single word, before she parted from Natsu and proceeded to head back, each to his own house.

* * *

It was already dusk when Natsu had finished escorting Wendy to her room at Fairy Hills before taking off to his own place. The usually busy streets of Magnolia were now vacant of any life.

He trudged back to his house, his mind blank of any thoughts. If someone would've seen Natsu they would probably think that a zombie had appeared due to how lifeless he seemed to be; no one will ever believe that the same boy who trudged along the streets of Magnolia was the cheery Natsu they all knew.

He was alone as Happy chose to go with Carla back to Wendy's house so he could be with Carla as the two of them tried to comfort each other, and Natsu was grateful for that because he didn't want his buddy to see him in the state he was.

The Dragon Slayer weakly smiled when he saw the familiar sign that greeted everyone who came to his house before he quickened his pace for the last few steps.

Once Natsu was inside he walked pass the mass of dirty dishes, and pots that covered the floor and straight to his hammock.

He sunk into it and for the first time since he heard the news he had finally allowed his emotions an escape from the dam that held them at bay.

Tears had involuntarily escaped his eyes, and it wasn't long before he started to whimper silently.

He shook violently as his silent whimpers had slowly begun to increase until the wind carried them far away for everyone to hear the agony that burdened his heart.

This feeling wasn't something new for the Dragon Slayer, but it had been a very long time since he felt anything like this. His mind had spared itself a moment from the thoughts of his lost comrades and instead wandered to the last time he felt like that; Igneel's disappearance.

For years he continued to carry the pain of his father abandonment, for years, he considered himself to be the reason why Igneel had one day suddenly vanished. He tried to repress it, to deny that his father who he knew loved him would abandon him because of him, but in the end, he always had found himself thinking about the possibility even if it was a slim one of him being the cause. Each time his mind had allowed these thoughts to resurface the burden in his heart resurfaced along with it.

But when he saw his father during his fight with Atsumi in his recent mission with Wendy and the Exceeds, he felt serene as if the burden that had been suddenly placed on his heart the day Igneel disappeared was lifted and instead of pain he found himself feeling the kind of happiness he only felt when he was around Igneel; a feeling he missed so much during his time away from his father.

Of course, Natsu had been jubilant with his life at Fairy Tail, but the happiness he felt from that was a different kind of the one he felt with Igneel. With Fairy Tail, it was the feeling of being a part of something, a large family who everyone knew and cared greatly for each other, but with Igneel it was different, it was more personal. There weren't many other people who shared his feelings like in Fairy Tail, with Igneel it was only the two of them; a father and son.

But the burden he felt, the same burden that had been on his heart for many years, the same weight that had only been lifted recently had found itself once again crashing down on the Dragon Slayer's heart.

This time, Natsu had found himself feeling something that will keep his thoughts busy for time to come. He felt that burden could be lifted once again even though the death of his friends was something absolute, unlike the time with Igneel where he lived in uncertainty.

But the thing that occupied his mind wasn't why his heart believed that it could overcome the burden once again even though his friends will never come back, no, instead it was the thought of what or to be more exact who could manage to do that. Natsu had his suspicions, but for now, they were nothing more than that.

And so, with those thoughts plaguing his mind and the yearn to have his deceased friends back plaguing his heart, Natsu had found himself surrendering to the blackness that overwhelmed his sight and forced him into his much-needed slumber.

* * *

 ** _(Two Weeks Later...)_**

Two weeks had passed ever since Natsu, Wendy, and the Exceeds had found out the news regarding the sudden loss of their comrades at the hands of a Black Dragon known as Acnologia.

Everyone at the guild had a very rough time dealing with the loss, but as the saying went _"Time heals everything"_ And slowly the guild had started to recover during these two weeks.

The small talk that had been cut off was suddenly back; the drinking wasn't only for handling the grieve more easily but rather to celebrate life while honoring their deceased comrades. The atmosphere in the guild had slowly reverted from the suffocating sorrow into the cheerful and welcoming atmosphere that had welcomed every new visitor at Fairy Tail before the Tenrou incident. Members had started to take missions again and with that many new stories had flooded the guild and slowly Fairy Tail had reverted to normal, but everyone could've clearly seen that all of the efforts were strained and not the cause of the natural process of dealing with a loss of your closed ones.

But while most of the guild had tried to revert things back to normal, some didn't even do that as Natsu and Wendy were still locked in their respective homes ever since that day two weeks ago.

For days some of the guild members had tried to reach out to them. They had come to their houses and knocked, knocked until their hands hurt and when it didn't work they just begged them, knowing that they could hear them clearly through the doors, to accept them, to not push them away, to let them carry the grieve and sadness with them like family does or else it will destroy them, but every time they were answered with nothing more than a deafening silence.

And when the members of the guild couldn't do it, then the Exceeds took the responsibility and tried to convince their owners to win against the emotions that threatened to overtake them so they could finally get their owners back.

They begged, with glassy, bloodshot eyes for the return of their owners, for the return of the time before.

Of the time they shared adventures together, the times they were a part of a family, the times they confided each other with everything like a son would do with his parents. It all seems like it happened so long ago, and they wanted it back, they needed it back!

They watched against their will as their owners had slowly descended to unrecognizable levels.

They watched as their once robust, powerful, determined, cheerful and full of happiness owners had descended into nothing more than a shell of their old self.

They were now fragile like an egg; they were pale as snow as every color had left them just like their emotions had left their hearts, the only determination they now possessed was the rapid muttering of apologies and words of defeat.

Natsu and Wendy just couldn't bear it anymore, the burden, the dullness in their hearts that had continued to grow as time went by constantly, the thoughts of sharing this burden with their comrades were painful like a knife being stabbed into your flesh. Causing their friends, their family to share the pain and burden with them was just something unacceptable for them, they were much prideful and stronger than that! They were those who protected and not those who were protected.

They thought of their deceased friends, the friends who most of them were still young with their entire lives ahead of them, a life they didn't get to live entirely.

They mourned every single one from the Tenrou group, but the ones they were the closest to were the most painful ones.

They mourned the kindness Lucy and her spirits had possessed, Erza's strictness and might, Gray's determination and the weird habit of stripping out of his clothes, Gajeel's tenacious personality and horrific singing, Mirajane's liveliness and extreme, unconditional love that she showered the members of the guild with.

And Master Makarov... They mourned him like a son mourned his father because that's exactly what it was for them. They lost a parent and not for the first time.

Everyone who had seen the two Dragon Slayers was sure that they were on death's door and it would've been the case if it wasn't for the realization that salvaged them from their condition.

It was after two weeks that their mind had finally taken a brief moment to avert its focus on something else and it was thanks to that brief moment that they had reached the answer they longed for the most during these two weeks.

The answer to the key of removing the burden from their heart along with the pain that accompanied it.

Their cries of defeat, cries of not being able to do this were altered and instead changed to cries of not being able to do this alone, and with that change of words, everything became clear to them.

They didn't have to throw away their pride by seeking help from the guild members; they didn't have to hurt their frail Exceeds, they just had to listen to what their hearts tried to tell them for so long, they had to go through this together as one!

For Natsu, the shape of the key to his salvation was slowly forming to the shape of a familiar blue-haired, Petite Dragon Slayer who had occupied his mind and heart for quite some time.

For Wendy, it formed to the shape of familiar salmon-haired, bulky Dragon Slayer who was the source of the weird feelings that plagued her heart, feelings that turned out to be immense and unconditional love towards the salmon-haired.

 _'I have to go to her!'_

 _'I have to go to him!'_

They both thought as everything clicked in their minds, all the scattered pieces, all the unrealized parts.

Wendy was the first to react and quickly bolted out of her bed despite the dangerous condition her body was at and rushed towards Natsu's house while she tried to improve her condition using her healing magic as much as she could.

But Natsu wasn't as fast as Wendy nor did he have healing abilities so by the time he succeeded to get up from his hammock and rush towards the door Wendy was already on her way to him.

He opened the door, and his eyes widened when he saw the person he craved for her presence standing at his doorstep, panting hard as she tried to regain her breath.

"Wendy..." He weakly muttered, but loud enough for Wendy to hear.

"Natsu... I-I can't do this alone!" She wept, a voice full of all the pent-up pain she felt.

"Me too Wendy, me too," He replied, his voice matching Wendy's; full of nothing more than pent-up pain.

"I need you Natsu! I think that only you will be able to help me go through that!" She confessed, not bothering for a second to think of what she said, she just didn't care at this point.

"I think so too Wendy; I think that only you will be able to help me go through that as well,"

"Only together we'll be able to do that," They both said in unison before they enveloped each other in a tight embrace as they had finally found the pillar they needed for support.

And so, Natsu had gestured Wendy to get in his house as the both of them had no intentions to part from each other for the close future, not after they had found the thing they yearned for the most; the comfort and support by the only one who could provide them with that, the one they loved.

* * *

 ** _AN: Don't forget to Favorite, Follow, and Review! I'll see you next chapter! :)_**


	6. Chapter 6

**_AN: Hey guys and welcome to the sixth chapter of "Dragon Masters Of Fairy Tail."_**

 ** _I want to thank everyone who Favorited, Followed, and Reviewed!_**

 ** _I want to address some of the worries that had been expressed in both the review section and PM's that were sent to me._**

 ** _Some of you may think that Wendy and Natsu's relationship is rushed, but it's not. I developed their relationship while taking many things into account such as them being Dragon Slayers, their history since the Nirvana incident, and more... So trust me when I say that I know what I'm doing and I'm not just "rushing" the relationship because I'm not._**

 ** _Also, some of you had shown concern about Wendy's age and the age gap she and Natsu have. So, I'm happy to say that Wendy will age, but the reasoning behind it as you'll see have a much deeper layer then just simple aging._**

 ** _With that out of the way, I hope you'll enjoy the chapter as I've enjoyed writing it!_**

"Talking."

 _'Thoughts.'_

 _"Quotation."_

 **"Attacks."**

* * *

It was a whole week since Natsu and Wendy had finally reached the realization that for them to overcome the pain and burden they felt from the loss of their comrades and family they had to do it together and not alone as they had initially thought.

During this week it looked like Natsu and Wendy had finally started to show some much-needed improvements in their condition.

They didn't look as pale as snow anymore, nor did they look as frail as an egg, and their condition was much better, but still far from being completely fine; they were still thinner than they should be, and their muscles were far from being like they used to be.

The Dragon Slayers had returned to eating instead of starving themselves and had actually restored a fraction of their social life by communicating with their Exceeds when they have come to visit them instead of ignoring their presence and protests.

Due to how their owners have been, Happy and Carla has decided that instead of adding to the burden that had been placed on their owners, they would instead move in with Kianna who happily agreed to have them stay with her until things got better with Natsu and Wendy.

The minute Happy and Carla flew into the guild with Kianna early in the morning of each day they would instantly be bombarded with questions from the members who were already at the guild in such an early hour. Their questions would always be about how Natsu and Wendy were doing, and as more members arrived at the guild, they would instantly ask Carla and Happy about their owners.

The Exceeds didn't have to look underneath the surface to see the apparent worry that the guild members had for their owners, and even after being reminded of it every day when the questions had begun their feeling of gratitude towards the guild members didn't cease to appear nor did it decrease even in the slightest.

Carla would always found herself thinking at some point during the day that Wendy's decision to join Fairy Tail after the Nirvana incident wasn't as bad as she initially thought, and actually was an excellent choice.

She didn't know how the other guilds were, but she was sure that they weren't like Fairy Tail was when it concerned their comrades due to how Fairy Tail always boasted about the unique closeness and sense of family their members always felt with each other.

And as they left the guild after telling them everything they knew about Wendy and Natsu, they would always feel happy that so many people cared about their owners and the feeling of happiness wouldn't leave them until the morning afterward where it would only refill itself.

But Natsu and Wendy's condition wasn't the only thing that made progress during this week.

With each passing night, Natsu and Wendy would always find themselves talking before they went to sleep. Sometimes their talks were only small and unimportant, and sometimes they shared their feelings about the death of their friends and their thoughts and connection they had with each one of the deceased members of their family.

It wasn't until the day Natsu had told Wendy about his bond with Lucy, Mirajane, and Lisanna that Wendy had confessed her deepest fear to Natsu and left him with his mouth agape.

* * *

 ** _(Flashback)_**

"You know... Mira, Lisanna and I had quite a history with each other, a history that went far back to my first years at Fairy Tail. It was a year after Makarov had found me that Mira, Lisanna, and Elfman joined the guild. Whenever I would tell the guild about Igneel Mira would always call me a liar and would always tease me by saying that I looked cute when I cried; she was quite different back then, she was actually quite fearful among the guild members. She and Erza were actually fighting like me, and Gray used to.

Then there was Lisanna, who was the exact opposite of Mira; she was kind, and would always believe me when I told the guild about Igneel. She always accompanied me and actually helped me when I found Happy's egg. I still remember how she would joke around about becoming my wife which used to freak me out a lot actually.

And as time went we started to become best friends until her supposed death... Back then Mira and Elfman were so devastated about it, and I hated seeing them like that. We tried to help each other recover from Lisanna's death which caused our bond to strengthen," He said, his expression solemn as he remembered the now deceased Strauss siblings.

"Wow, it looks like you were very close to them, especially to Mira and Lisanna," Wendy said in awe as she struggled to contain her jealousy and fear.

She loved hearing Natsu sharing his thoughts with her; it was so not like him, and seeing him opening up to her made her feel special and close to him. But when she heard how he spoke of Lisanna and Mira, her heart would clench as the fear she had of being rejected by Natsu in favor of girls like Mira, Lisanna or Lucy kept plaguing her mind.

"W-What about Lucy? Were you two close?" She asked in curiosity, despite fearing the answer to the question she asked.

She already knew how close Natsu and Lucy were, everyone at the guild knew about their close friendship, but Wendy wanted to hear it from Natsu so she would know the answer to that damned question for sure.

"Lucy? Yeah, we were actually very close. She was a good friend, and I cared for her a lot, but I don't know how she thought about me; she was weird. Sometimes she would be all nice, and sometimes she would just be mean to me and Happy, so I really can't tell you what she thought about me," Natsu replied truthfully, not knowing the effect that his answer would have on the bluenette who laid beside him.

"I see. Natsu, do you mind if I ask you something?" Wendy asked after Natsu's answer wasn't enough to vanquish her fears.

She wanted to know how he felt about the girls. If he loved them or just considered them as close friends; she wanted to know the answer so the fears she had would finally be put to rest.

"Hmm?" She heard him hum, gesturing for her to ask what was on her mind.

 _'It's now or never,'_ Wendy nervously thought to herself as she fought down the nervousness and tried to muster up all her confidence.

"D-Did you love any of them?" She stammered, but Natsu had clearly heard her question and slightly widened his eyes in return.

"L-Loved them? Hmmm... No, I don't think I ever did love any of them. Sure, they were very close to me, but never like you asked; they were just very close friends. Why did you ask?" He replied, curious about the purpose of Wendy's question.

He waited for the bluenette to answer while his eyes looked at her searchingly, but the thing she did had taken him completely off-guard.

If anyone would've asked the petite Dragon Slayer what had passed through her mind at that moment, she won't be able to give an exact answer. All she would be able to tell was that her mind and instincts wanted nothing more than to do that as they overpowered her sense of reasoning and threw away her shyness and timidness for just this one act.

She leaned close to Natsu and planted a deep kiss on his lips, a kiss that showed everything she felt about him.

The passion, the unconditional love, her longing, her hesitation, and doubt; it conveyed all of this in just this one kiss, and this barrage of emotions had shocked the salmon-haired boy entirely.

It didn't take long for him to compose himself, but when he did, he found himself returning the kiss as if he wanted it as much as Wendy. When he thought about it, it was actually true; he did want it as much as Wendy, but he wasn't able to figure this out until she kissed him, and so, he returned her kiss with matched passion as his emotions had been conveyed into his kiss.

The unrealized, unconditional love, the passion, the longing, and his hesitation... He revealed it all to the bluenette who assaulted his lips.

Only as the kiss continued did they start to realize the depth of the connection they had between each other; a connection that transcended beyond what they had initially thought.

It was a connection much more than just a brother and sister or fellow Dragon Slayer; it felt like they were meant for each other.

The kiss continued for what seemed like many minutes as the feeling of time had left the two Dragon Slayers while they were focused on sharing their love with each other, but eventually, the kiss had ended as the two of them had needed to regain their breath.

Once they had regained their breaths, they resumed the kiss again without showing any signs of losing the passion that it possessed in its first moments. But unlike the first time, this time it didn't end in just the kiss as Wendy's animalistic instincts had assaulted her; urging her to claim her mate as her own before someone else would do it.

They were so strong that she wondered for a second how Natsu and Gajeel handled their own instincts, but she didn't have time to think more about it as her instincts had completely taken over her actions.

She rolled on top of Natsu while she continued to kiss him and as she straddled her fellow Dragon Slayer, she pushed her hands beside his head to lock him within her grasp while her hips had slowly rubbed against his manhood which caused Natsu to grunt while his eyes widened from Wendy's actions.

"W-Wendy..." He struggled to say as the petite Dragon Slayer continued to assault his lips.

"Natsu, I want you! You're mine, and I am yours!" She growled at him, her eyes losing the innocence it possessed in favor of an unusual animalistic; like a predator looked at his prey.

The bluenette had broken the kiss and wasted no time as she started to slowly remove her clothes so her mate would be able to see her entirely before they would finally be united as she wished for so long.

"W-Wendy... I don't think it's a good idea," Natsu firmly said as he tenderly gripped Wendy's hand to stop her from stripping.

"W-Why Natsu? Don't you want me?" She asked as tears coursed down her cheeks unchecked before being turned into full-blown sobbing.

Only when she felt Natsu's hand stopping her did she regained a bit of her sense of reason back, but it didn't mean that what Natsu said haven't hurt her. Even if she was under the control of her instincts, she couldn't deny the fact that she wanted the same thing that her instincts dared to ask for.

She thought that Natsu loved her as she loved him; that's what she felt from his kiss, but when he stopped her and said what he did, she started to doubt her depiction of the emotions in his kiss.

"I-I do... But I don't think it's a good idea for us to do it now," He replied, his voice weak and soft.

"W-Why?!" She asked between her sobbing; determined to know the answer to Natsu's rejection.

"It's just that you're too young for us to do something like this Wendy. During our kiss, I realized that what I felt for you was love, and I really do love you Wendy, but I don't think we can do anything about it until you're older," He told her, his eyes showing the sadness that he felt from telling her that.

"N-No..." She said in disbelief as she lost the little control she had on her sobbing.

Upon hearing Natsu say that the reason behind his rejection of her was because of her age made all the fears she felt, the same fears that had faded when they kissed, to return in full force and overwhelm the bluenette.

She couldn't take it anymore, being by Natsu's side while they got closer to each other was something she yearned for so much, but now... Now she couldn't stand being with him in the same room; the humiliation and pain that his rejection and the reasoning behind it had brought were unbearable to the little Dragon Slayer.

And so, she bolted out of the hammock and stormed out of the room; not sparing Natsu another look as she feared that her heart wouldn't be able to handle even that.

Wendy just ran and ran without a clear destination in her mind and with the clear intent to get away from Natsu as much as she can, she ran until the fatigue she had had slowly made its presence known more and more as it consumed the petite Dragon Slayer until she collapsed; her last memory was seeing a strange looking tree trunk in what looked like Magnolia's forest.

* * *

 ** _(Present Time...)_**

"W-Where am I?" Wendy groggily asked as she woke up from her slumber and looked around only to find herself in a strange room.

Quickly, the sense of panic had flooded the girl when she realized that she had never seen this room before and the possibility of it belonging to someone whose intentions aren't good was quite large.

She looked around and noticed that the room was sparsely decorated and was quite large yet empty; it only had the bed she laid on, a working desk, a few stumps, and several crates and barrels.

"You overexerted yourself; you should continue to rest, or else you'll collapse again," Wendy shrieked and quickly spun her head around upon hearing someone's voice.

When she turned around, she was met with a slim and tall old woman with pink hair, tied in a bun on the back of her head by two large pins with crescent moon-shaped edges, and with two bangs of her hair left framing her face. Her eyes were reddish, and she could also spot a beauty mark which was located beneath her mouth, on the left side of her face.

Her attire consists of what looked like a dark green blouse with a tie around the collar, paired with a long matching skirt and simple shoes. Wendy couldn't distinctly tell due to how most of her attire was covered in a crimson-colored cape that had massive Dragon horn-like decorations protruding outwards.

"W-Who are you?" She fearfully asked as she tried to put on a brave facade only to be betrayed by the shakiness of her voice.

"Didn't that fool Makarov tell you about me? I'm Porlyusica," The woman now known as Porlyusica told Wendy, her tone void of any emotions but slight irritation.

Upon hearing the name of the woman, Wendy remembered being told by Erza and Makarov how Porlyusica attended to the injured members of Fairy Tail and even saved Master Makarov's life during their fight against Phantom Lord.

Makarov and Erza always praised Porlyusica whenever the old healer was brought up to the point of being called a legendary healer like none other by Makarov before the old master had quickly asked whoever heard him that they wouldn't tell Porlyusica what he said.

"You're Wendy, right? Makarov used to talk about you quite a lot; he stated that you were quite the talented healer,"

"Y-Yes," Wendy timidly replied while a blush sported her face from the compliment she received.

"Once you feel better you should leave; I don't like humans spending more time than they should around me," Porlyusica said in spite, one that wasn't directed at the bluenette and rather at all humans.

"O-Ok," Wendy replied, not sure what she could say in response to something like that.

Once the conversation between the two healers had quieted down, Wendy had taken this chance to sniff the air in the room and what she smelled made her gasp in astonishment while her eyes widened in shock.

There was this familiar smell; one she could never forget even if her life depended on it, one that she could only associate with kindness and unconditional love.

"G-Grandeeney?" Wendy stammered, her eyes were glassy as her initial shock made it hard for her to speak as she tried to think of the reason why she smelled her mother's scent while she also cherished it with every sniff she took.

"I see that you noticed it... I'm sorry to tell you that child, but I am not Grandeeney," Porlyusica replied, her tone solemn as she knew that the news would hit the girl pretty hard.

"W-Why do you smell like her then?" Wendy asked in confusion, unsure what to think anymore.

On the one hand, this woman had the exact same smell that her mother possessed; the same smell Wendy had grown up with and learned to cherish, but on the other hand she told her that she isn't Grandeeney.

"I have nothing to hide, so I'll tell you what you want to know. I'm not Grandeeney, the one you're looking for. I'm human just like you; I am from another world, one that is different from this one. You know about Edolas right?" Wendy gasped from Porlyusica's question as the pieces had slowly started to fall in place for the bluenette.

"Yes, I'm from Edolas and just like you have your own counterparts which you met in Edolas, from an earthlander perspective I would be considered the Grandeeney of Edolas," Wendy looked at Porlyusica, or rather Edo-Grandeeny with teary eyes and her mouth agape as she struggled to comprehend the news that the elderly healer had told her.

This was Grandeeny! But it wasn't her Grandeeny; the one who raised her and showered her with unconditional love. This wasn't her mother.

"I-If you're from Edolas then why didn't you try to return to it?" Wendy asked in perplexion.

"Makarov helped me in my time of need. And I grew fond of Earthland, so even though I had several opportunities to return to Edolas, I decided to remain here," Wendy's shock only continued to increase the more she heard Porlyusica's words, but despite her shock a question had popped into her head, a question she wanted to ask badly.

"If you're here, then what about the Edolas counterparts of Igneel and Metalicana? Are they here too?" Wendy asked as she hoped that the counterparts of Natsu and Gajeel's Dragons are also present in earthland just like Grandeeney's.

"I don't know; I've never met them. But I've talked with the Sky Dragon. We didn't meet directly; she spoke to me telepathically, I suppose through magic means. She said that you people wanted to become "strong", but it may be possible only for you, the girl named Wendy," Porlyusica said before she took out from her cape what looked like a notebook and handed it to Wendy who just looked at the item in wonder.

"I wrote down this magic book exactly as the Sky Dragon dictated. There are two types of Sky Magic; Milky way and Light Burst: Sky Drill; two Secret Dragon Slayer spells that the Sky Dragon failed to teach you." Porlyusica explained.

"Grandeeny told you... For me..." Wendy muttered in disbelief as she gazed down at the notebook in her hands.

"She wanted me to give you that if I ever met you. She told me to warn you that those spells are extremely advanced so be careful and don't overdo it and damage your health," Porlyusica said before she turned around and started to walk away from the bluenette.

Wendy just gazed at the retreating form of Edo-Grandeeny with shock still clearly plastered across her face. She met the Edolas counterpart of her mother, who had also talked with her mother and wrote a notebook by Grandeeney's request which contains two spells that her mother had failed to teach her; that was just too much to handle at once.

But as she gazed at the retreating form of Porlyusica, an idea had popped into her mind, one that will hopefully make the pain she felt go away.

"Grandeeney wait!" Wendy cried out to Porlyusica to stop and gently smiled when she saw that the old healer had indeed stopped in her tracks.

"What do you want? Don't you humans have better things to do?" The old healer asked in irritation as she turned around to face Wendy.

Hesitation and nervousness had started to overwhelmed the bluenette. The bluenette wasn't sure how Porlyusica would react to her weird request, and judging by what she learned about her so far, it won't be kindly, but Wendy didn't see any other choice because if someone could possibly grant her request, the thing she desired the most, then only Porlyusica would be able to do it, and she wasn't going to let that chance she had now to slip away, not when there was so much at stake.

"C-Can you help me?" She nervously stuttered while Porlyusica had cocked an eyebrow in curiosity.

"What is it that you want?"

"I want you to make me older!" Wendy cried, her tone oozing of confident.

"Make you older? Why would you want something like that?" Porlyusica asked in hesitation as she narrowed her eyes at Wendy, a bit taken aback by the girl's request.

"I want to be older! To not be considered a little child anymore, I want to be stronger, and most importantly I want to be able to spend the rest of my life with the one I love the most, to unite with him, so we'll finally be one... But I can't, not when I'm as young as I'm now... So please, help me!" She confessed before desperately pleading for Porlyusica's help as she gazed at her with sad, puppy eyes.

Porlyusica continued to stare at Wendy, searching for any doubt or hesitation in the girl's resolve, but was surprised when she found none; not even a tiny trace.

"Are you sure that this is what you want? To throw away your childhood and innocence in favor of the things you've told me about?" Porlyusica asked.

"Yes! There's nothing I want more than that!" Wendy replied, her tone firm and full of unwavering confidence in the words she spoke.

"You do know that there will be some consequences to that right? Your body will age but your mind won't. You'll give up a stage of your life that most people will die to relive again," Porlyusica asked as she made sure Wendy knew the full extent of her decision.

"I know all that, and I don't want to continue being a child if it means that I can't fully be with the one I love," Wendy told her, not backing down from her decision even after being told of the consequences.

Porlyusica had to admit that this girl wasn't like any other human she had encountered so far. She didn't possess the same things that made her hate humans; she wasn't selfish, and she wasn't evil. No, she was just the opposite, a kind girl like none other whose heart was entirely made out of absolute purity that she didn't think a human could possess. But that wasn't the only thing that made Porlyusica think of Wendy like that; Wendy was timid, gentle, and shy, but as you spent more time with her you could see that deep inside Wendy is just the opposite; she's bold, rough, determined, and confident.

"Very well then, come with me," Porlyusica ordered as she motioned for Wendy to follow her.

* * *

 _'Where Is she? Why didn't she come back yet?'_ Natsu nervously thought to himself as he paced back and forth in his apartment.

A day has passed since Wendy had tried to mate with him. A day since he denied her from what she wanted the most and caused her to storm out of his house with tears in her eyes.

He would never forget it, the scene that broke his heart; the disbelief in her quivering tone when he rejected her, the tears that that wetted her face, and the way she suddenly bolted out of his hammock without sparing him another look.

He was sure that the pain she allowed to slip past her guards was only a fraction of what she really felt; he didn't have to be a genius to know that.

The feeling of emotional turmoil that was desperate to be unleashed upon the world instead of being imprisoned in the heart of a little girl like Wendy; that's how much his Dragon senses had allowed him to feel.

As soon as the initial shock of Wendy's storming out wore off he wanted to chase her; he wanted to so badly! But he knew that the girl needed some time alone and him following her would only increase the pain he had already caused her, and that was something he didn't want.

Natsu didn't have to fear for Wendy's safety; she was powerful and determined and certainly capable of taking care of herself. She wasn't as weak as the guild thought. They judged the book by its cover, and that was their biggest mistake. Only a selected few of the guild members had witnessed the full extent of Wendy's powers and that selected few was smaller then Natsu would've liked; he wanted them all to see how strong Wendy really is and not for them to half-heartedly believe the stories they told them.

When Wendy didn't return a few hours later, Natsu had opted out to follow her scent to make sure she's fine, but as soon as he left the house, he noticed something that made him frown in chagrin; Wendy's scent was gone, and instead many other scents had replaced it.

He cursed himself internally for his decision to not go after her sooner, and with worry etched across his features, he went looking for her only to return an hour later with no results.

And with a heart clouded with worry and remorse, he went to bed where he spent the whole night turning from side to side as he struggled to get some sleep but to no avail.

It was only around early dawn when his heightened hearing had picked up on a faint knocking at his door which caused him to instantly bolt out of his bed and rush to open the door.

As he made the short trek to the door, he took a sniff of the smell and was happy to smell none other than Wendy on the other side, and with a huge smile on his face, he opened the door only for his jaw to drop to the floor from the sight he was met with.

There stood a tall, young woman with long blue hair; her figure curvaceous even more than Mirajane's and her breasts on par with Lucy's. Her attire consisted of the same simple dress with two wavy stripes running across the dress and ending in small pointed edges at the bottom that Wendy always wore, only this dress was modified to fit the girl's figure and height while also ditching the wing-like attachments that were around Wendy's legs and arms.

The girl gazed softly at Natsu, flashing him a small awkward smile as she waited with baited breath for his reaction.

"W-Wendy?" Natsu asked after several long seconds, his mouth still agape and his eyes widened in complete shock from the girl in front of him.

This was definitely Wendy; her smell, her hair, and her old clothes, they all matched to the little Sky Dragon Slayer. But the girl in front of him wasn't little, not even in the slightest yet this was her so... What the hell happened to her?

"Yes, Natsu?" She replied, her voice cracking as she talked.

Was it from the awkwardness or the nervousness she felt? She didn't know, but she thought that it was probably a combination of both.

His reaction was the only thing that was on Wendy's mind; will he react kindly or badly? That she didn't know, but she hoped with every fiber of her being that it will be the former.

"Is everything alright Natsu?" Wendy asked after she noticed that the Fire Dragon Slayer in front of her hadn't made a move to reply for quite a long time now; her cheeks burned from the embarrassment of his lingering stare at her.

"Huh? Y-Yeah... But Wendy, what the hell happened? Why do you look like... That now?" Natsu asked after being snapped from his daze by Wendy; disbelief still etched on his features.

"After what happened last night, after what you told me, I realized that I don't want to be a child anymore! I don't want to be considered as a little girl anymore, I don't want people to feel obliged to protect me because of my age, and most of all, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, my mate and the one I love," She told him with a newfound confidence which shocked her when she thought that there was not a single chance that she would say the same things back when she was little.

 _'Perhaps the transformation changed more than just my appearance?'_ She shrugged off her burst of confidence, thinking it was related to the transformation so that she could focus on Natsu.

At hearing Wendy's reasons, Natsu's face had fallen. Instead of flabbergast and incredulity, it was remorse and anguish. Wendy, who saw the change in Natsu's demeanor instantly paled in fear as she thought that his change of demeanor meant that he wasn't going to react kindly.

"Wendy..." He muttered weakly, his voice matching the emotions that his face had shown.

How could he react to that? To knowing that the reason Wendy had given up on her innocence, her childhood, in favor of being transformed into an adult was mostly because of him and the thing he told her last night? How could he get rid of the feeling that he was the one who took Wendy's innocence against her will? He wanted to be with Wendy, but the age gap between them had been an obstacle, and when he told her that they should wait he didn't think that the feelings she felt at that moment will bring her to the point of transforming to an adult... Just how much did she love him?

"W-Why did you transform Wendy? Was it because of me..." His question had caused Wendy to frown.

"Of course Natsu! But I know what you're probably thinking; Porlyusica had asked me the same thing. I didn't give up my innocence and childhood because I felt forced. I did it because I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, even at the cost of turning to an adult; it didn't matter to me, and the fact that yet another reason was added to my list of reasons for why being a little child sucks only solidified my resolve even further. I love you so much Natsu, and if being a child is what stops us from being together then I would gladly throw that away, and that's what I did. So, please... Don't feel guilty, don't feel that it was your fault because it wasn't! I will never blame you for any wrong or evil that comes my way because you'll never bring me any of those. No, the only thing you bring me is joy and love even just by being here and allowing me to look at you," Wendy told Natsu, her face glistened with fresh shed tears before she planted a deep kiss on Natsu's lips, hoping that the kiss would be able to convey the things that her words had failed.

They kissed for what seemed like hours as everything they felt was finally revealed through this kiss.

All the love, all the longing, all the worry, all the joy, all the sadness... All of it was now in plain sight for both of them to fully perceive.

Wendy's confident, and fear, Natsu's remorse and guilt; those as well were clearly conveyed.

They parted after what seemed like an eternity while the bliss that overwhelmed them made their sense of time to disappear like it never existed along with Natsu's guilt and remorse.

Their minds slowly clearing all the worries that flooded it away as they both melted into the kiss.

"Natsu... I want you!" Wendy moaned in lust as she and Natsu had taken a short break for air; her Draconic instincts were wasting no time to take over the now adult Wendy.

Wendy couldn't describe the rapture she felt when she saw Natsu nodding in acceptance while his eyes had matched the same lust she had for him.

He took her hand in his and slowly escorted her to his room where they'll finally allow themselves to fulfill their destiny; to become mates.

They both knew that they were meant only for each other; their senses explicitly told them that. But now, there were no obstacles standing in their way in finally becoming mates!

And so, the two Dragon Slayers had spent the night in each other's embrace as they constantly satisfied their Draconic instincts and lust that they struggled against for so long.

* * *

It was early morning when Natsu had woken up from his sleep. The sun was up, and the birds were chirping while the wind was slowly swaying the trees back and forth and harshly removing the leafs that embellished it from their home.

He stretched and looked beside him only to light up with joy when he saw Wendy lying beside him.

At first, he believed that last night was nothing more than a cruel dream that his mind had formed just to deceive him, but when he gazed softly at the angelic figure of his mate, he realized that his mind didn't conjure any of this.

Finally, he felt at peace; the burdens that had been abruptly placed on him were gone as if not being put on him in the first place. Instead, his heart was now light and full of joy from finally being one with the girl he loved, for finally finding the other piece of his soul.

When Natsu and Wendy were mating last night the first thing they felt once Natsu's member had penetrated Wendy for the first time was the feeling of wholeness that enveloped them as if their souls was only half of its true self until that very moment.

He allowed himself one last glance at Wendy's beautiful face, and only on that last glance did he notice the difference in Wendy's appearance; her hair was the same blue as before, but now it had stripes of salmon decorating it.

Natsu looked at Wendy with awe before he left the hammock so he could take a shower and check himself in the mirror for perhaps more changes.

Once he looked at the mirror, he smiled when he saw that his hair had also changed and now featured blue stripes across it, but that wasn't the only change that Natsu had noticed when he looked at his mirror.

His guild insignia had remained in the same red that it always was, but now a red and blue Dragons were circling it.

 _'That's awesome!'_ He excitedly thought to himself as he continued to stare at his cool new insignia.

When he got bored from looking at his insignia a few minutes afterward, he went and took a shower while he hoped that once he was finished Wendy would be awake.

* * *

When Natsu had finished his shower, he was delighted to see that Wendy was indeed awake and was staring at her hair in awe which caused him to chuckle before he went to her side to give her a kiss and ask her to take a shower so they could go to the guild.

During his shower, he realized that now when their hearts were free and full of happiness instead of sorrow they could finally go to the guild and be with their remaining family who they knew had missed them greatly.

Once Wendy was out of the shower a few minutes afterward they both got dressed and went to the guild with their hands interlocked.

They couldn't wait to see their friends again, and they certainly couldn't wait to share the news with them.

* * *

Upon reaching the guild's doors, Natsu smirked deviously at Wendy before he kicked the door open while he announced their return in a vigorous shout.

Immediately, all the heads in the guild had been turned towards Natsu and Wendy with huge grins from seeing the return of their missed Dragon Slayers.

But their happiness didn't live for long as complete astonishment had taken its place from seeing Wendy, who has suddenly turned into an adult, and the new, weird change in their hair.

"Natsu, Wendy, what the hell happened?! Why do you look so different and why the hell is Wendy an adult all of the sudden?" Laki asked as she approached the couple only to gasp in shock upon seeing their interlocked hands.

"You gotta be kidding me...You mean to tell me that Natsu, the densest boy in the world, got together with a girl? None the less Wendy?!" She asked, the surprised gasps of the guild quickly accompanying her question.

"And why does your hair looks different and why is Wendy an adult all of the sudden?" The wood mage had asked again while she narrowed her eyes at Natsu.

"I-It's a long story..." Natsu said as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"We have time..." Laki said, her legs tapping in impatience as she and the guild waited for Natsu and Wendy to already tell the story.

And with that, the two Dragon Slayers had started telling the story after realizing that the choice they had was only limited to one option.

* * *

"Wow..." The guild said in unison after hearing Natsu and Wendy's story.

Each member of the guild had felt differently upon hearing the story, but the only reaction they could form was a simple _"wow."_

Some felt anger towards Natsu for stealing Wendy's innocence by force, some felt excited and overjoyed from hearing the romantic story, and some were jealous of the bond that the two Dragon Slayers now shared, but despite all that, they all felt happy for Natsu and Wendy to some extent.

"Natsu, can I talk to you for a second?" Macao asked Natsu which caused the chatter in the guild to instantly quiet down.

"Huh? Sure Macao what is it?" Natsu asked in perplexion.

"Would you like to become Fairy Tail's new master?"

* * *

 ** _AN: Don't forget to Favorite, Follow, and Review! I'll see you next chapter._**


	7. Chapter 7

**_AN: Hey guys and welcome to the seventh chapter of "Dragon Masters of Fairy Tail."_**

 ** _I want to thank everyone who Favorited, Followed, and Reviewed! I want to apologize for the time it took me to update this story. There have been things in my way such as real life stuff as well as me planning and building three new Fairy Tail stories with the first of them being released very soon!_**

 ** _I want to talk to you about something controversial from the last chapter: Wendy's aging. I know that some of you liked it and some didn't and I respect each, and every one of your opinions be it a good or bad one. I ask you guys to remain civil no matter how much you dislike things because there's a way to voice your opinion and by flaming me you don't achieve that._**

 ** _I also want to say that there has been a misunderstanding regarding Wendy's aging which I hope will be resolved in this chapter._**

 ** _Also, for those who asked: There will be a few time skips during the next few chapters. My plan is to have the next few chapters focusing on a specific time skip at each time, but if I can't reach a sufficient length for the chapters, then I'll shove all the time skips in a single chapter._**

 ** _Now, without further ado. Here is the new chapter! Enjoy!_**

"Talking."

 _'Thoughts.'_

 _"Quotation."_

 **"Attacks."**

* * *

"Natsu, can I talk to you for a second?" Macao asked Natsu which caused the chatter in the guild to instantly quiet down.

"Huh? Sure Macao what is it?" Natsu inquired in perplexion.

"Would you like to become Fairy Tail's new master?"

"..." The whole guild became dead quiet as nothing but the sound of breathing could be heard.

"Ehhhhhh?!" Natsu screeched in utter bewilderment while Wendy and the Exceeds looked at the both of them in shock. His eyes wide as he continued to stare at Macao as if he expected him to burst out laughing any minute before saying that this was all a joke.

"While you and Wendy were away we all discussed who should be the new master. We talked for hours as names of various members continued to be mentioned saying they should be the new master. But after everything settled down we all reached the same conclusion. When you and Wendy were away, the guild felt... Different. It felt as if a part of the core that made Fairy Tail the guild it is was missing. You, Natsu, made Fairy Tail the happy guild it is. Be it the way you always used to barge into the guild as you announced your arrival which caused everyone to smile as they knew that something exciting would happen. The fights you had with Gray and other members like Gajeel and Elfman always made the guild feel merrier and when Erza used to grab you two by your shirts and reprimand you for your behavior and the way you acted like best friends afterward just not to take another taste of her wrath made everyone laugh. It was your determination and your loyalty to the guild and the pride you took in your mark that always provided light even in the darkest of moments. You may still be the dense, reckless Natsu that we all came to know and love but it was never a bad thing; it was a part of your charm. We are sure that because of that you will be the only one who could keep Fairy Tail together! You will be the only one who could keep us at the top!" Macao said, his tone sincere as he continued to detail the events that transpired prior to Natsu's being elected as the new guild master by the guild.

To say Natsu was surprised would be a vast understatement; he was astonished beyond belief, and it seems like Wendy, and the Exceeds reacted the same as him.

He continued to gawk at Macao, not being to utter a single word in return as the shock from the question and the reasoning behind his selection still visibly present.

Him being the new master of Fairy Tail? That mere thought was so ludicrous that Natsu never even dreamed about it. It was something that even his imagination couldn't come up with. He pictured himself being an S-Class magician many times but that fantasy was ripped to shred by... Them. Being the guild master? Never did his mind allowed him to have this sort of fantasy.

It wasn't as if Natsu started to hate their guts because they ripped his dream to shreds; they were his family, and he could never hate them. But Natsu knew that things would always be different and that he could never think about them the way he used to. Now, instead of the pain of grief that accompanied his thoughts of them, another pain also came with it. Pain that originated from their betrayal and mistrust back at that day. Now, no matter how much time will pass with each thought he will have about them this new pain will always accompany the grieve that he felt as his mind would constantly remind him of the events that originated that pain.

The Dragon Slayer wasn't dumb. He knew what the guild members thought about him. How destructive he was, how he was a financial burden to the guild, how his recklessness would someday cost a member in his life, and how he wasn't ready for anything other than the mage he currently was... Not even S-Class.

But yet, here stood Macao with his face showing the earnestness that was also clearly heard in his tone telling him how special he was to the guild. How he is the glue that keeps Fairy Tail together in those difficult times whether it was his smile or his attitude, for Natsu it didn't matter; he finally felt as if he really mattered something to the guild who always branded him as an outsider or a burden. He finally got the reassurance that his heart yearned for, the reassurance that he was none of that.

"I-I don't know what to say..." Natsu finally found the voice to answer Macao.

He gazed around the guild and saw the looks of anticipation the guild members held as they impatiently waited for him to reply to Macao's question.

Natsu examined their faces carefully and was surprised when he realized that all the guild adorned the same face; one of support, and reassurance that managed to ease some of the doubts he had about Macao's statement.

He then looked at the face of Wendy, the girl he loved so much, and saw her flashing him the smile he came to love; a smile full of love and support that no voice could ever hope to convey.

For Natsu, it was everything he needed; the support of his guild mates and his precious mate.

"So Natsu... What do you think? Do you want to be the new guild master?" Macao asked, his voice jittery as his eyes never seemed to leave Natsu ever since he first asked him this question.

"Yeah! I'm all fired up!" Natsu roared as he lit his hand ablaze and raised his fist into the air all the while putting his familiar toothy grin on full display as everyone in the guild burst into cheering upon hearing Natsu's decision.

But the guild's cheering was cut short, and silence flooded the room once more when Natsu has started to speak once again.

"I'll do it but only if Wendy will serve as guild master beside me," Natsu's condition made the guild gasp in bewilderment as a thing like that was unheard of.

"Having two masters at the same time?! I don't think it is a good idea Natsu... We never had something like that before, and I am sure that many of the other guilds never had two masters serve at the same time as well," Macao informed the Dragon Slayer, his tone both anxious from Natsu's reaction and uncertain as to how such a thing could work.

"I know that it was never heard of before, but I won't give up until you agree! Just like you said that I was the light of the guild Wendy is my light and without her, I'm not sure I would have been standing here having this conversation with you," Natsu's confession made the guild widen their eyes.

Just how much did Wendy mean to him? The entirety of the guild asked themselves as they thought about the meaning behind Natsu's words. It didn't take them long, but eventually, they all understood... Natsu, the one who always had happiness fill his core had to deal with one of the most painful experiences in his life other than Igneel's disappearance. But with Igneel it was entirely different, and they all knew it because unlike Igneel, who Natsu was so confident that he was still alive, those who perished in the S-Class exams under Aconologia's might was dead without a doubt in their mind that could allow them to cling to some kind of hope. That thing alone made the two experiences entirely different for Natsu.

Unlike Igneel's disappearance, Natsu didn't have the help of his guild in getting through that as they all dealt with the same pain and didn't have the option to help another as each member fought against his own grief all by himself. But Natsu was an exception; he had someone who helped him. He had Wendy by his side, and she had him on her side as they both struggled valiantly against the sorrow that threatened to overwhelm them. Because of the intimacy and closeness, they both shared and developed during this time they emerged out of the grips of their sorrow as one that wasn't able to be separated be it by Acnologia or Zeref themselves.

"So do you agree to have Wendy be guild master beside me or do I have to knock some sense into you all before?" Natsu asked in irritation as he lit his fist ablaze once more to show that he would do what he threatened to do should they continue not to understand.

"Nah Natsu, it's alright. We're sorry that we didn't realize it before but now that we all do we all agree that Wendy will also be the guild master alongside you," Macao apologized for his and the guild's hasty refusal of Natsu's request before they even thought about the reasons behind it.

It wasn't that they didn't like Wendy, quite the opposite actually. The Bluenette Dragon Slayer was the one that contributed so much to the guild's recovery even without her realizing it. Just seeing her so clueless about the harsh truth of life that helped her maintain her hope that things will always turn out alright no matter what made the guild believe that maybe things would be okay even when it seemed like they would never be. But even they realized that this cluelessness that Wendy possessed wouldn't last forever and that one day she as well will learn the harsh truth behind life. When she and Natsu returned to the guild earlier that day, they could all see that other than her now mature figure Wendy had changed entirely.

She was no longer the same Wendy as she was before. Sure, she maintained some of her old traits, but this new Wendy was one that was ready to take on the adult world by storm. Her newfound relationship with Natsu showed that she was ready to have this kind of connection in her life unlike before when she used to blush when she was exposed to any sign of affection between two people. Her lack of protest against Natsu's declaration that he wants her to serve as a guild master beside him also showed the guild that she felt as if she was fully prepared to carry the responsibilities a guild master had on her shoulders. They looked at Wendy and saw the way she now held herself, and they knew... They knew that this girl was now a full-fledged adult and not a child in an adult form like they initially thought when she first entered the guild.

"Wendy, are you sure you're ready to serve as a guild master alongside Nasu?" Macao asked her. He like the rest of the guild already knew the answer but having Wendy say it with her own words and voice would put even the slightest of doubts they had to rest.

"Yes, Macao. I finally feel that I am ready to serve as a guild master alongside Natsu. You see, when I asked Porlyusica to transform me into an adult, I didn't do it solely because of Natsu's rejection. I did it because his rejection was the final nail in the coffin for me. At first, I despised being a little child because every girl around me was so beautiful and their breasts weren't as flat as mine. But then it changed and what I hated the most was the way people treated me because of me being a little child. People didn't count on me like they did on other people because they doubted the power of a little child. People didn't treat me seriously because they doubted the way of thinking that a little child possessed, and I hated it! I wanted to show everyone what I already knew about myself thanks to Natsu, Carla, and a few others but I wasn't entirely sure of myself just yet. I thought that I might be wrong and people only acted that way because they cared greatly for me. But when Natsu's rejection came I realized that if I ever want people to treat me the way I am, the way I deserve to be treated and not to treat me like a little, defenseless child than I had to change! I had to match my body to what my mind already was. I came to Porlyusica and asked her to transform me because I wanted to be with Natsu so much, but I also wanted everyone to finally see me as an adult because after Natsu's rejection I finally realized how much I wanted it. So I asked Porlyusica to transform my body into an adult one while every other part of me was already an adult the minute I stormed out of Natsu's hut," Everyone at the guild but Natsu and the Exceeds cringed upon hearing Wendy's heartfelt confession. The guilt they felt continued to intensify with each tear that escaped Wendy's eyes.

"W-Wendy... We Didn't know... We're sorry," Macao apologized, his tone mirroring the same emotions that flashed through the eyes of every single person at the hall but Natsu and the Exceeds.

Natsu for his part felt a pang of guilt and regret upon hearing Wendy's confession. Even though he knew that Wendy forgave him it didn't help reduce the guilt that he felt from the fact that he inflicted pain on her even if it wasn't his intention. He promised himself at that moment that he would do anything in his power to protect Wendy, the dearest thing in his life, from any pain, be it physical or emotional.

"It's alright Macao; I know you guys didn't mean it. In the end, things turned out for the best, so I can't really be mad at you," She said as she flashed Macao and the rest of the guild a gentle smile that showed them that they were fully forgiven before she turned to Natsu and flashed him a loving smile that made the rest of the guild to grin as they thought that perhaps Wendy was right. Maybe things did turn out for the best.

"Well then, now that's all out of the way I think we all know what should be done," Macao interjected, reminding everyone the subject that instigated this whole conversation in the first place.

"Natsu and Wendy, we are honored to be able to call you the new masters of Fairy Tail! We all know that you will serve this title in a way that would bring a smile to the past masters. Now, let's party!" The guild burst into cheers as they begun the party that marked not only Natsu and Wendy taking the mantle of guild masters but also the rebirth of a new Fairy Tail.

* * *

They all partied until the time was a stranger for them all and before they knew it the light that shone brightly through the guild windows had faded in favor of the dim light of the moon. But even then they didn't stop partying, and it wasn't until the light had returned to shine brightly through the guild windows that they were all passed out on the floor.

The next morning, Natsu blinked his eyes open and looked around him to see how everyone else was faring. He wasn't surprised when he saw that everyone was still out cold. He grinned when he saw the damage that the guild had suffered.

"Must've been one hell of a party" He muttered to himself only to get startled when someone had replied to his remark.

"Sure was, I've never seen the guild so happy before," Wendy said and only when Natsu averted his gaze toward his loved one did he notice that she was lying beside him with her head on his chest.

"Yeah... I've never thought that they could be this happy after everything that happened," Natsu wistfully added.

Wendy didn't need Natsu to tell her what he meant by that; she already knew. She caressed his cheek with her hand and told him with a reassuring voice.

"Don't worry Natsu, I know that it still hurts, but we'll go through it, together, so we could all create ourselves a bright future like they would've wanted us to do,"

Natsu was left speechless. He loved Wendy with all his heart, and it always awed him how she could always find a way to cheer him up and reassure him when he needed it the most. Truly they were one of the same as one couldn't exist without the other.

It brought a huge grin on his face that now he finally had the family he truly wished for. Yes, he had Fairy Tail as his family, but they weren't the true family that he wanted. He wanted the same family he had with Igneel before he disappeared. He wanted to be loved not because he was a fellow member of the guild or a really good friend and now, after all this time, he had gotten this feeling again and from Wendy out of all people.

When Wendy joined Fairy Tail after the Nirvana incident, he considered her as his sister who he'll guard with every fiber of his being and not as his lover, his source of light, and the one who always manage to salvage him when he needs to be salvaged. But Natsu couldn't deny that the turning in their relationship from a sister-like into lovers was one of the best things that ever happened to him.

Wendy smiled when she saw Natsu's expression before she took his lips in a passionate kiss; this was a moment that no words were needed for the two to know what was on each other mind.

It wasn't long after that Natsu and Wendy heard the rest of the guild that was still passed out groaning as they struggled to get up from their positions.

Natsu and Wendy looked at each other one last time with love dancing in their eyes before Natsu got up and helped Wendy up so they could go and help the rest of the guild.

"Ohh man I'm sure the master will be so pissed when he see this!" Natsu deviously snickered as he took his place on one of the bar stools after he and Wendy helped the rest of the guild to get up. Seeing the master reaction to the destruction of the guild after a good party was one of Natsu's favorite moments.

"Eh... Natsu..." Laki, who sat beside Natsu at the bar, faltered. Not knowing how she should deliver the news to Natsu.

 _'Poor guy, he must've forgotten that he and Wendy were now the masters of the guild, so handling with the destruction of the guild was their job,'_ She wanted to remind him of that fact but seeing him so eager to see the master reaction caused her to hesitate... He looked so happy that Laki didn't want to be the one who brought him out of his happiness.

But Laki didn't need to do so because someone else had beat her to it, much to her delight.

"Natsu, don't you remember? You and Wendy are the guild masters now," Happy chirped in, causing Natsu to go pale as realization struck him instantly.

"T-That's right... We are the new ma-masters," Natsu weakly mumbled to himself as he looked around the destroyed guild with his shade going whiter with each new wreckage his eyes has spotted.

In a matter of seconds, the entire perspective of the Dragon Slayer changed and instead with each glance he gave to the destroyed guild he no longer saw happy memories. No, now the salmon-haired Slayer only saw the same thing that Master Makarov had seen before him; more things to repair and more money to spend.  
"Hahaha I guess he finally comprehended the fact that he is the new master," Wakaba said as he and the rest burst out laughing when they saw Natsu wearing the same expression that Makarov wore for many years when he saw the guild in a state of destruction like it is now.

As the laughter died down Macao approached Natsu, who was still sulking from all the destruction that he had to take care of now, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Relax Natsu! I'll help you and Wendy take care of everything until you get the gist of it. After all, I witnessed Makarov dealing with this stuff more times than I could count," Upon hearing this Natsu instantly lit up and started to thank Macao profusely as well as rambling on and on how Macao is his savior which caused the latter to laugh.

"How about you go see your office and get used to it?" Macao advised as Wendy approached Natsu after she was finished talking with Bisca.

"That's a good idea Macao, thank you," Wendy said before she and Natsu strode up to the second floor for their first time and into their new office.

* * *

"We have a lot to change here, but I don't think I'll be able to do so. It's just too hard to change anything because it feels like..." Wendy said as she and Natsu examined their new office.

The office itself wasn't anything special. It was barren from any sort of decoration other than the Fairy Tail guild symbol as well as a single picture of the entire guild on the table.

Overall the office was in good shape; it wasn't in need of repair. But the thing that Wendy noticed right away was that the office was inadequate for two masters. But the thing that bothered Wendy and Natsu the most was the thought that by changing the office they would hurt Makarov's memory.

"It's okay Wendy, I understand, and I don't think you'll have to worry about that," Natsu replied with a tender tone as he enveloped Wendy in an embrace.

"What is it Natsu?"

"You'll see; I'm sure you'll like it. Let's head back so I could tell the guild about my new idea,"

Once they returned to the main hall, Natsu didn't spend any time and instantly got on stage.

"Everyone I have an announcement to make!" Natsu roared, and immediately every head in the guild snapped his way which caused him to grin in triumph as he managed to get everyone's attention with ease.

"While Wendy and I were upstairs examining our new office we noticed that the office wasn't suitable for two masters and we also didn't want to change it because it felt to us as if we would hurt Gramps memory. The more we thought about it, the more we realized that even though the guild is in good shape, it's full of memories. Some happy and some sad but all of them involve those who had their life cut short by Acnologia back at Tenrou Island. I'm sure that all of you had experienced a moment where you looked at a certain spot in the guild and thought about an event that transpired there that involved the Tenrou Group. The Tenrou Group were a part of us that we should never forget as we continue to honor their memory but the way it is now is wrong. Our hearts shouldn't ache when we look at a certain spot that triggers some of our memories that involved them. A guild hall is a place of happiness, the home of our family, and not a monument. So, our first decision as guild masters is to restore the guild hall to what it should be by rebuilding it so new memories could be forged there without the fear of looking around the guild just to feel pain upon remembering a memory that could no longer happen. It might take us some time to get the money we need to do so, but we won't give up just like we didn't give up when they died! We'll work hard, but in the end, things will be worth it!" Natsu's speech got the whole guild standing as they wildly cheered their new master while they all thought that their selection couldn't have been better.

"As Natsu said, it might take us some time, but in the end, we'll manage to do so, but that requires the help of all of you. You'll need to take more missions than before as well as missions that have higher pay. We'll also have a system that with each job you take the guild will receive a certain percentage of your reward due to the guild being the one who issued you the job. By taking a higher pay missions, the percentage that the guild will get will be bigger as well as the fact that you'll get more money to yourself due to the percentage not being that large so both you and the guild as a whole benefit from this. You get more money and experience while the guild gets many small percentages of profit with each job you take. That way we could reach our goal much faster, so we hope that you all don't object this new method," Wendy added as the guild quieted down.

Upon getting no resistance from the guild Wendy and Natsu smiled in gratitude from the great support that the members had given their first action as masters.

As the guild members listened to Natsu and Wendy speak, they smirked as they saw how compatible both Dragon Slayers were and how they balanced each other out.

The more they spent time with Natsu and Wendy as their masters the more the guild was sure that their decision was wisely made.

"Now, you should all spend the next two months training so you could be strong enough for higher pay jobs. After you finish, you'll return to the guild where Wendy and I will see how strong you got before we give you permission to take those missions. So, get a move on now! Macao, and Kinana, please wait here," Natsu informed the guild before everyone but Macao and Kinana left the guild to prepare for their upcoming training journey.

"What is it Natsu? Why did you tell us to wait?" Macao asked in perplexion as he and Kinana approached the two Slayers.

"Natsu and I will really appreciate it if you could be our advisor Macao," Wendy told him much to the Purple Flare mage surprise.

"And you Kinana, we would like you to train as well, but we would like you to work at the bar like Mirajane used to once you return," Natsu informed the Purple-haired girl.

Both mages just nodded in agreement with smiles on their faces before they each went their separate ways. Kinana went home to prepare for her training journey while Macao stayed with Natsu and Wendy at the guild so he could tell them everything he learned from Makarov.

For the citizens of Magnolia, it was a normal day like any other. The sun shone brightly from its place in the sky, and the streets were busy with civilians as they engaged in their daily activities. But for Fairy Tail, this day would forever be remembered as the day of Fairy Tail's rebirth.

* * *

 ** _AN: Don't forget to Favorite, Follow, and Review! :)_**


	8. Chapter 8

**_AN: Hey guys and welcome to the eight chapter of "Dragon Masters of Fairy Tail."_**

 ** _I want to thank everyone who Favorited, Followed, and Reviewed! And I also want to apologize for the delay in updating the story. Things got in the way with the biggest one being a slight writer block about how to write this chapter, but now I am past that, and hopefully, it shall not repeat itself! :)_**

 ** _I also want to let you guys know that this chapter wasn't beta'd like my other chapters for a few reasons so please take the time to leave a civil and constructive review!_**

 ** _Also, as always there is OOC and AU in this chapter so be aware of that! Also, there will be a small part in here that might be considered manga spoilers so be warned. There also may be a little amount of inaccuracies in the timing of certain events so be aware of that as well._**

 ** _Now, as I said before this chapter will be a time skip and will be quite short as it focuses and describes the changes that the guild had undergone during the two years time skip._**

 ** _I did leave some things vague and some things I did not expand on on purpose so do not worry about it as all of what you read here will be explained later in the story._**

 ** _There are going to be two more time skips: one that will show what happened three years after the Tenrou Incident (One year after the events of this chapter) which will have a focus on the characters and not the guild as a whole. Then there's the last time skip that all of you know as the seven years time skip since the Tenrou Incident._**

 ** _Now, without further ado here is the next chapter! Enjoy!_**

"Talking."

 _'Thoughts.'_

 _"Quotation."_

 **"Attacks."**

* * *

It was a day like any other. The sun was up, luminous as it always was. The birds were chirping from their spots on the slightly swaying trees that stood out from the lush wilderness. The streets were busy as always with people who continued with their everyday lives.

"Ahh! I can't believe I'm finally done with this shit!" Natsu said as he laid down his pen.

"Aye Sir! Now we can go and buy fish!" Happy gleefully chirped in as now Natsu was free so they could buy fish.

"Yeah sure buddy just let met set those papers so Macao could deliver them," He replied as he set all the paperwork he had done in the bunch that was already ready and just waited until Macao would send them.

As he set the papers on the stack, he couldn't help but reminisce a bit about how his paperwork had come to increase drastically.

 _'I can't believe it's been two years since then...'_ He sighed as memories of that time flooded him.

* * *

 ** _(One Year and Ten Months Ago...)_**

"Welcome, Master Dragneel and Master Marvel; it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Gran Doma, and I'm the Chairman of the magic Council," The Chairman of the Council, Gran Doma, welcomed Natsu and Wendy with a smile on his face.

"Yo! So why did you call us here?" Natsu asked, causing Wendy to nudge him on the side.

"Natsu! don't be rude," She scolded her mate's antics before she flashed the Chairman an apologetic smile.

The Chairman slightly giggled at the display before he went to address the two Masters again.

"It's quite alright; it's been a long time since I've been in the company of someone who wasn't intimidated by me," Gran Doma reassured the two in amusement before his face turned serious.

"But I'm afraid that we still need to discuss the matter of which we called you here, so please sit down," He said as he gestured for the two vacant seats.

"Now, the matter of which we all gathered here is to speak about Fairy Tail and you as the new Masters," Gran Doma started.

"You see, at the time of Master Makarov Fairy Tail has been a very destructive guild and it's no secret that because of the heavy destruction Fairy Tail had caused the old Council and even some on the current Council to develop a dislike towards it. It's been a whole two months since the tragic death of the Fairy Tail group who traveled to Tenrou Island, and we thought that this amount of time would suffice for you to get accustomed to your new positions and discuss your future intentions. We summoned you today because we wanted to hear your intentions and goals as the new dual Masters of Fairy Tail," Gran Doma explained, his voice radiating authority and power.

It was Wendy who replied to the Chairman, apparently unfazed by the Chairman's aura as her own voice was one of authority and confidence.

"We understand Mr. Chairman, and we had already decided on our intentions, and we would be happy to share them with you. Our current goals are many. We would, of course, want to mend the relationship between the Council and Fairy Tail by negotiating about several matters such as receiving a higher pay from the Council in return for full cooperation should you require help like with Oracion Seis. One other thing we would like to negotiate about is the trade of all information regarding dark guilds, Zeref, and Acnologia. In return, we would provide information on the same matters as well as any plans that might concern the wellbeing of the Council. In addition, we would also like to have your full support and backing should Fairy Tail need it such as in the case of unjust conviction of one of our members or any crisis be it financial, or one caused by an enemy. In return, Fairy Tail shall pledge their loyalty to the Council and promise never to betray its trust and to never publicly rebel against it and also to provide support should a crisis related to the Council happens,"

Natsu would've found himself gaping at Wendy's lack of shyness, but he already knew. During the one and a half months since Natsu and Wendy mated the former helped the bluenette, at her request, to overcome her timidness and to train so she could prove to everyone how strong she was. At first, Natsu had resisted saying that Wendy was already strong and that no one minded her timidness as most found it cute but Wendy didn't budge and she continued to pester Natsu until he agreed.

It took quite some time, but eventually, Wendy managed to completely overcome her shyness and instead she now oozed with confidence and power. Natsu quickly changed his mind and did not mind the change Wendy had underwent as he saw how happy it made her and how much she wanted to go through with it and as long as she was happy so was he. When they returned to the guild later that day, everyone immediately felt the changes in Wendy, and they could only stare in bewilderment and awe.

"I see. I must say that I am quite impressed with you young girl. It's a refreshing sight to see someone as young as you handle the job of a guild master with such grace and prowess. Many would not dare to make demands to the Chairman of the Council, but you did so with no fear, and that is something I truly admire," The Chairman complimented with a smile before he turned to address his fellow Council, members.

"Now, who is in favor of accepting Master Marvel's terms and who is against?" He asked and upon seeing all hands but one rise in agreement he smirked.

"It seems that the Council had accepted your terms, Master Marvel. We shall prepare a formulated document that will feature the same conditions you just presented us so that we will have a legal validity to the terms,"

"Thank you, Chairman. I, and Fairy Tail as a whole hope that our relationship with the Council will only flourish thanks to this agreement," Wendy told him with a gentle smile plastered on her face.

"We hope so as well. It seems that we are currently entering a new age. I am curious about your other intentions though as you made it clear that fixing your guild's relationship with the Council and defeating dark guilds, and farfetched as it may seem, also defeating Zeref and Acnologia. I am sure that those are not the only intentions that you two has as the new Masters am I right?"

"Well... We also plan to spread our guild's merchandise all across Fiore as a mean for another source of income besides doing jobs and the Council payment. We also desire to allow any Lost Magic user or anyone who is sincerely willing to have a second chance at life to join our guild. Of course, they will do so after being examined by the Council to deter if they will still possess a risk or not should it be necessary which also brings me to the last matter we wanted to discuss with you about Chairman," Wendy explained, surprising the Chairman.

"Oh? And what may that be, little girl?" He curiously asked.

"The recently-formed independent guild called Crime Sorcier," Wendy announced which caused the Council members to draw their breath sharply.

The Chairman sighed. "I see. I'm afraid that the topic of this new guild is currently a sore spot for us. I can assure you that we will listen to whatever you may wish to say but not in this meeting as we still need to discuss the matters regarding this guild between ourselves before we can discuss it with you,"

"Fair enough. If that's everything then we will take our leave," Wendy said, her shoulders slumped in slight defeat as the spree of success she maintained during the entire course of the meeting ended with the Chairman's explanation.

They left Era, the city of which the Council resided, and went back to the guild where everyone waited for them.

It was two days prior to their meeting with the Council that the members had returned from their training and the minute they all entered the guild Natsu and Wendy instantly felt the increase in power in each member which caused them to grin widely.

After they had returned from the meeting, they gathered everyone outside and proceeded to test everyone for their new strength and they couldn't be more pleased with the results.

* * *

 ** _(Present Time...)_**

"Natsu... Natsu...," He woke up from his reminiscing when he heard his name being called.

"Huh?" He asked as he looked for the one who called him and saw Happy standing on his table as he pushed on Natsu's hand to wake him up.

"What's wrong Happy?"

"You dozed off again Natsu! I thought you said we were going to buy fish. Did you lie?" Happy asked, his voice shaking as tears threatened to burst from his eyes.

"No no no no! I didn't lie Happy really! I just remembered something so don't worry. We'll go buy fish now," Natsu hastily replied in alarm.

He knew that hell would break loose should Happy begin to cry, and Wendy will kill him.

Over the course of the past two years, Happy had managed to get Carla to accept his fish. It wasn't long after that that the two Exceeds entered a loving relationship. Ever since that day, Natsu and Happy would occasionally buy fish for Happy so that he could give it to Carla. One time Natsu did not go with Happy which caused the Exceed to start sobbing and blaming Natsu that because of him Carla will hate him now which caused for a chain of events to occur only for it to end with Wendy berating him because Carla got super pissed at Natsu because he made Happy cry.

Happy and Carla were not the only couple that got together during the course of the past two years as Alzack and Bisca got together while they were on their training trip and solidified their relationship when Alzack and Bisca got married a year after the death of the Tenrou Group.

"Aye, sir! Let's go!" Happy had said before he flew out of the office with Natsu trailing behind as they both left the office from the window.

* * *

"Yo, everyone! We're back!" Natsu yelled as he and Happy entered the guild.

The guild, while maintaining the castle-like appearance now sported many changes. No longer could the bell in the central bell be spotted as it was now nonexistent. The fence around the building with the big gate, as well as the cafe the old building, had, are now missing too. Instead, the new building has some little towers on both sides of the main tower. The banner with the guild's insignia has been replaced with a large wooden sign bearing the guild's name that resembles the one that was previously at the fence gate while the top of the main tower now featured a flag with Fairy Tail's guild symbol. The number of floors the guild now had was increased from three floors to four.

But the biggest changes in the new hall were within its interior as now it was completely unrecognizable for the old members as the layout had been significantly altered. Meanwhile, the walls of the hall were now made entirely out of bricks while the floor was now made entirely out of parquet.

The first floor still featured the same notable features like the tables, the bar, and the kitchen, and the stage, it also housed new features such as the infirmary that was transferred from the second floor for easier access.

The second floor, still accessible to everyone, now featured more tables where the members could drink and eat as well more features such as the request board, the library, and the waiting room.

The third floor, now housed three offices which belonged to the two Masters and their advisor as well as the data storage room and the S-Class request board with a few tables beside it for the S-Class mages that could only be accessed by the S-Class mages.

The new fourth floor featured an indoor garden that provided a temporary escape for those who sought it. The garden was filled with many flowers in many different colors and means to simulate an actual outdoor garden such as artificial wind and small, harmless animals. In the middle of the floor stood a small stone building with the Fairy Tail insignia which upon entering sported a large memorial stone for the members who fell with a little sitting area at the sides for people who wanted to stay in the small building for more than a few minutes.

"Welcome back Master!" Alzack and Bisca were the first to greet Natsu, both of which arrived only a few minutes before him to the guild.

"Uncle Natsu! Uncle Natsu!" A voice of a little girl cried out before Natsu was tackled to the ground.

Natsu smiled widely. "Hey, Asuka! How are you?"

"I'm fine! Mama and Papa just returned from their S-Class mission, so they took me from Auntie Kinana's house before they came here," Asuka explained.

"I see. So how did you like staying with Kinana?"

"It was fun! Auntie Kinana gave me many many candies and played with me a lot!" She gleefully said before she was suddenly picked from her spot on Natsu.

"Now Now Asuka, Natsu had just returned from his short trip with Happy so why don't you give him some rest? I'm sure he'll come talk to you as soon as he can," Alzack told his daughter.

Asuka pouted. "Mouu you're no fun, Dada!" She waved goodbye to Natsu as her father continued to carry her towards their table.

"She can be a handful sometimes," Bisca giggled as she approached Natsu.

"Yeah but that is a part of her charm," Natsu replied, gently smiling as his eyes followed the retreating form of Asuka.

"You're right. Ever since we had Asuka, we could see that the guild had become happier than they were. It seems that her neverending happiness has caught on to the guild. If it wasn't for Alzack and I getting married and having Asuka I think we would all still be drowned with sorrow and grief,"

"Perhaps. Yours and Alzack wedding was the happiest moment we had since that incident, and even those who were still stuck in grief managed to form a smile and momentarily forget about what happened,"

"And then came little Asuka who seemed to give life to the guild after being lifeless for ten months," Bisca said, her tone tender and full of love and pride as she spoke of her daughter.

"So, how was your S-Class mission? I assume it went as supposed?" Natsu asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah it went without problems, and the dark guild was wiped out, and the prisoners were set free. We already informed the Council, and the Rune Knights of it so don't worry about reporting it to the Council," Bisca told him.

Over the course of the two years, Natsu and Wendy had decided to form new S-Class trials so members of the guild could become S-Class once every two years. With the disappearance of Tenrou and the lack of other S-Class, it was decided that in order for the guild members to become S-Class they need to eliminate each other until there were only four teams of two left. The entire guild was given to option to form a team and compete in the trials because Natsu and Wendy wished not to repeat past mistakes. In their opinion, everyone deserved a fair chance to present their strength and skills to become S-Class and not only a selected group of few mages that stood out during the course of one year. They remembered the way it felt when Master Makarov had denied them both from participating in the trials be it as a competitor or a partner of one. The betrayal and hurt Natsu felt when his team supported the Master while the entire guild laughed from the sidelines was something he did not wish for anyone else ever to experience. Meanwhile, the hurt Wendy had felt from being called weak, and the little faith the Master had in her abilities was also something she did not wish for anyone to experience.

And so, for a few days, every member of the guild who was interested in becoming S-Class had formed a team of two and signed for the exams where they fought in a manner similar to that of a tournament until there were four teams left. Those last four teams consisted of Alzack and Bisca, Laki and Vijeeter, Macao and Wakaba, and Warren and Reedus. Eventually, after a long fight, it was Alzack and Bisca and Laki and Vijeeter who won and managed to reach the last part of the exams. The last part wasn't much different than the others as it also contained fighting but this time the purpose of the fight wasn't to win but to endure the longest out of the remaining teams as they fought against both Natsu and Wendy.

The judging parameters of the trials were divided into five parts that each S-Class member should have.

Strength, Teamwork, Compatibility, Adaptability, and Humility.

By having them fight against each other in the first stage, it showed Natsu and Wendy each team's strength and determination to achieve the goal of becoming S-Class and also demonstrate their compatibility.

In the second stage, it allowed Natsu and Wendy to see how the teams operate when they are against an opponent on the same level as them and to see how they defeat him which showed the two Masters their teamwork.

And lastly, the third stage which allowed Natsu and Wendy to see the humility of the remaining two teams as well as how well they manage to formulate a strategy when faced against stronger opponents which showed their adaptability.

Natsu and Wendy both realized that rushing off to fight enemies that are stronger than you will only lead to your death. Because of that, they wanted to see how the participating teams would perform in various situations that could happen for an S-Class mage such as facing a weaker opponent, one that is of equal strength, and one that is stronger to you.

Eventually, after a long fight, it was Alzack and Bisca who managed to endure the longest and defeat Natsu and Wendy, who tuned their powers to be a tad stronger than the team they faced off against, by formulating a plan that relied heavily on their magic and the weaknesses of the two Masters.

In the speech, Natsu and Wendy had given after they announced the results of the exams they told the guild that unlike the previous exams, this time the two members of the winning team will get promoted. They went on and explained the need for a team and how each member of the team compensate for the weakness of the other and increase their chance to overcome enemies that are stronger than them when they are together. They finished the speech by saying that strength isn't all that matters and that is why they weren't evaluated based only on their strength as even the weakest of them all can overcome the strongest should he use his other abilities.

"I see. You two should take the rest of the weekend off seeing how you were spending the last two weeks on missions non-stop," Natsu replied, beaming with unyielding pride for his children.

Bisca smiled widely before she replied. "Thank you, Natsu! We should take this chance to spend more time with little Asuka; she must've missed us," She goes towards her daughter as she finishes her talk with Natsu.

The salmon-haired Master continued to observe the happenings in his guild as he felt the soothing aura of his mate come to stand by him.

"You know, each time I look at them like that, I can't help but get filled with pride and love. Seeing the guild members, I consider as my own family and the way we managed to overcome the death of the S-Class trials group," Natsu gently whispered to Wendy, his gaze continuing to linger on the rowdy guild.

"I feel the same way as you. We might've served as Masters for only two years but I feel like it was forever since we took that mantle and I wouldn't change it for the world," Wendy replied, a wide smile spreading across her delicate features.

"Yeah... Think of how much we accomplished during those short two years? If it weren't for you I would've probably ruined the entire guild by now with all the brawls I would've triggered," Natsu said as his thoughts drifted to the old him who used to initiate a brawl each time he visited the guild.

"Thanks to our agreements with the Council the relationship between us is stronger than it ever was. The hate they had for Fairy Tail back when Master Makarov used to rule seemed to diminish immensely and instead begun to respect the guild and also to make the doubts they had about our ability to rule the guild to vanquish. Plus, with the merchandise, we spread out all across Fiore our source of income had practically tripled by now. We have the Council's payment, the percentage that each taken job gives the guild, and now the merchandise as well. We actually have so much money that even if we destroy a small city, we would be able to pay all the repairs and remain almost unaffected moneywise. Plus, there's THAT agreement as well which also helps our relationship with the Council," Wendy answered as she focused her gaze on a group of hooded mages who sat at the corner.

Natsu follows Wendy's gaze and frowns "That reminds me actually, I have to go talk to them about their last mission," He informs his mate before he leaves her side and march towards the hooded group.

"Hey, guys what's up?" He asks once he reaches their side.

"We're fine Natsu, how are you?" A voice that sound like a woman asks back.

"Fine, I was actually just talking with Wendy about how fast the last two years since we started to serve as Masters had passed and how much we managed to achieve during that time,"

"I must say your accomplishments are awe-inspiring, but I assume that was not why you came here for right?" It was now a masculine voice that spoke.

"Pff... You always have to ruin the fun, don't you? I'm sure if she were here she would've beaten you senseless for being such a buzz killer," Natsu scoffed as he rolled his eyes at the hooded figure with the masculine voice.

The figure seemed to freeze for a few seconds before he replied to Natsu, his tone saddened as he spoke. "But sadly, she isn't here anymore so I can be as much of a buzz kill that I want,"

"Ehhh you're wrong! This is my guild, and if I ever see you being a buzz kill again, I'll beat you up. This is Fairy Tail, and you are a part of it now so get used to it!"

"I guess you're right; we are practically a branch of Fairy Tail now although it's still hard to believe even if it's already been a little more than one year since we joined,"

Natsu continued to gaze at the hooded figures before he spoke again. "So anyway... How was your mission? Did you find anything useful?"

"Actually, we did find something that could prove to be quite useful. We gathered enough information to determine that no dark guild, including those from the Balam Alliance, have any direct relations with Zeref except one guild that goes by the name of Tartaros. It turns out that all of the members in it are somehow directly related to Zeref and appear to have the most connections with him than any other dark guild out there. Sadly, anything about Tartaros but their name is unknown for everyone including the Council as well," The hooded male told Natsu, his tone conveying the gravity behind his words.

"It appears that for now all we can do is either continue to try and find a dark guild that possesses more information about Tartaros which I highly doubt any of them has or to sit around and wait for the moment Tartaros would slip up enough for us to gather more information about them," The female voice interjected.

"You're right. For now, I think you should continue to try and find out more about Tartaros as you continue to demolish more dark guilds. It will suck if we end up fighting Tartaros without having even a tiny bit of information about them while they most likely have information about us," Natsu advised as he began to retreat to where he stood with Wendy slowly.

"Anyway, for now, you should rest for the next two days and interact with your guild seeing as how you spend most of your time out hunting dark guilds anyway. And you should also ditch the hoods; they're hideous, and you don't need them anymore or did you forget that you have not been fugitives for the last ten months?"

The male chuckled "I guess you're right Natsu; we just got used to having those hoods on all the time,"

The walk back towards his mate, as short as it was, still had Natsu dodging from the occasional table that flew his way. But none the less the salmon-haired grinned with each dodge. It wouldn't be Fairy Tail if shit didn't get thrown across the guild.

"How was your talk with them? Did they find something interesting in their last mission?" Wendy inquired as Natsu retook his position beside her.

"They did actually find something that relates to Zeref, and one of the dark guilds in the Balam Alliance called Tartaros, but I'll tell you that later as it's not urgent. For now, let's enjoy the moment,"

And that was what they did. As the two Dragon Masters of Fairy Tail had continued to just stand in their spot and gaze over at the guild they were in charge of with different expressions that despite their difference radiated the same amount of love and pride in them. True, things were not the same as they were two years ago and a part of them still dearly missed the way they used to be, but that part was only a tiny fraction of what they felt. The rest was the elation they felt from having the positions they had and the determination they had to fulfill the goals they had for Fairy Tail.

True, a large part of the goals the two Masters had set out for the guild under their reign had been fulfilled, but not all of it. But if there was one thing that the two Masters swore always to keep was to prevent from anyone at the guild to go through the pain they went back at that day. They swore never to repeat the same mistakes their deceased friends had committed the day the participants in the S-Class exams were announced. To never allow any member of the guild to know what betrayal by your own family feels like and how it feels to lack the belief of your family in your abilities. They might have grieved their loss as they were a part of their family none the less but the pain they inflicted on the two Slayers would forever be remembered whenever they thought about the perished ones.

It seems that time does not heal all wounds, especially those inflicted upon you by those who are the closest to you.


	9. Chapter 9

**_AN: Hey guys and welcome to the ninth chapter of "Dragon Masters of Fairy Tail."_**

 ** _I want to thank everyone who Favorited, Followed, and Reviewed!_**

 ** _I also want to apologize for the delay in updating._**

 ** _Also, for those of you who are fans of Naruto, I am happy to say that I am working on a long one-shot for that fandom. It still has some time before being completed, and it is only the first out of a few plans I have for a Naruto story. So if you're a fan look forward to that one-shot and a few other surprises._**

 ** _Now I want to say a few things about this chapter before you dive into it._**

 ** _First, this chapter, like the rest of the story, will feature AU and OOC elements in it so be aware as you have been warned. I also know that my writing of the main event in this chapter is not accurate, but that is due to me not being well-versed on this topic, so I apologize in advance._**

 ** _I also want to say that this chapter was written without my beta revising it, so your reviews are more important to me as they are the only things that help me to improve now. I only ask you that you do so civilized and not in a hurtful manner._**

 ** _Second, this chapter will tackle the personal side of the time skip instead of the guild side of it like in the previous chapter. I also changed it so the time skip will be that of four years instead of three like I initially said in the author notes of the last chapter._**

 ** _The next chapter will be the end of the time skips which I am sure you know what it means._**

 ** _Now, without further ado here is the chapter. Enjoy!_**

* * *

It was a day like any other. The sun was up, and the people flooded the street like usual. But everyone who gazed at the magnificent building of the Fairy Tail guild knew that this day was far from normal. The bells of the Kardia Cathedral were heard all across the city of Magnolia as it signaled the beginning of something special. The natives were always seen with a huge smile on their face no matter your standing as if they all shared a common happiness while the tourists found themselves confused by the odd behavior the natives displayed. But they knew, they knew that today was not like any other day. That something special was going to happen. They could feel it in the air. The elation, the anticipation, and the excitement.

But none of the feelings that permeated in the air could compare to the feelings that the air within the guild hall.

"We gathered here today to celebrate the official union between two of our dearest members," A man with slicked-back dark blue hair announced to the many who were present at the guild.

"It has been four years since that day. The day we lost everything to the Apocalypse Dragon, Acnologia. The day our closest friends and members of our family had perished alongside Tenrou Island, our sacred island. At that day Fairy Tail reached rock bottom. Many members found themselves drowning in grief as they struggled to find what to do and how to move on. That day Fairy Tail has forever changed, but instead of the change being one of bad nature it was the opposite. It was thanks to those two members who we celebrate their union today that the change Fairy Tail had undergone was good. It was thanks to them that we moved on completely from our great loss instead of wallowing even partially as we remained stuck in the past. They are the heart and soul of our guild, and it was thanks to them surviving the ordeal that we, the other parts of the whole that is Fairy Tail, had managed to pull on as well. But that didn't stop there. They did what no one dared to do. They changed everything. The guild hall we all knew and loved was no more and in its place was an even better guild hall. One that was waiting for new experiences and adventures to happen in it. One that would no longer cause us to have haunted looks as a memory of the deceased members entered our mind. They changed Fairy Tail in ways that we could've never imagined, and it was thanks to them that we are where we are now. But every story has a bad side in it, and their story is no different, but we gathered here today on this merry day to celebrate the union of two people that we care about the most. Two people that did everything they could for the sake of others with little to no thought about themselves. We gathered here today to celebrate the union of Natsu Dragneel and Wendy Marvel!" Cheers erupted as the man finished his speech.

"Natsu Dragneel, son of Igneel, do you accept Wendy Marvel as your wife? Will you stand with her at sickness and health? For better or worse? For richer, for poorer? Will you love and cherish her from this day forward until death do you apart?" He asked the salmon-haired boy who stood on his left.

"I do," Natsu replied with a smile as he gazed at his soon-to-be wife with eyes full of love and sincerity.

"Wendy Marvel, daughter of Grandinee, do you accept Natsu Dragneel as your husband? Will you stand with him at sickness and health? For better or worse? For richer, for poorer? Will you love and cherish him from this day forward until death do you apart?" He asked the girl who stood on his right.

"I do," Wendy replied as she matched Natsu's smile with one of her own while her eyes held the same emotions that her soon-to-be husband had in his.

"Please take the rings from your bearers and proceed to say your vows to one another," He told them.

Natsu turned around and looked at Alzack, his best man, as he handed him his ring.

The ring was beautifully made. The band was made out of a brilliant silver with the shape of a Dragon's head holding the gem. The gem was made out of an etherion-charged crystal.

He smiled as he remembered how he made those rings. It took him many days to decide about what kind of ring he wanted to give Wendy, but in the end, he reached a decision.

For the silver, he used to create the band he climbed to the top of Mount Hokabe where, according to the rumors, there was a small cavern where the local jewelers got their finest silver. He found the cavern and entered it after a few days of searching for it as the rumors did not specify the location other than being somewhere on top of the mountain. When his eyes caught sight of the silver deep within the cavern, he smiled knowing that this rumor was true, unlike the many rumors that pertained his father.

He used his fire to cut the silver and took enough for the two rings before he left.

Once he arrived back home, he went deep into the forest so Wendy will not be able to see what it is that he was doing. When he decided that the spot he was in was enough he stopped and proceeded to forge the silver into a ring. He used his strongest flames to reforge it from its natural form into the shape of a ring before he quickly placed the seething silver into a nearby lake to solidify it. It took him many hours, but in the end, he managed to create fine bands with the shape of a Dragon's head on top of it.

Now there was only one more thing to do. To fill the mouth of the Dragon.

For that task, he went all the way to a small island on the coast of the Caelum Kingdom south of Fiore. Many would ask what was so special about this island and many will answer that nothing was special about it. That was if you weren't Natsu or a few others as this island was where the Tower of Heaven used to reside before the Etherion weapon of the Magic Council destroyed it.

When he caught sight of the island, he grimaced as nothing seemed to remain from it, but Natsu knew better. As the boat stopped and his sickness disappeared Natsu took a deep breath before he dived into the water. At first, he saw nothing, but as he descended deeper into the water, he finally saw it. He saw the ethereal glow that came from the bottomless abyss. He approached the source of the glow and saw the object he sought. A large chunk of etherion-charged crystal from the Tower.

He took the chunk with him and ascended back to the top where the boat awaited to take him home.

Once he arrived back home, he went to the same spot he previously went to forge the bands for the rings and proceeded to mold the crystal into a different shape for the rings.

After the molding was done, he took the two square-shaped crystals and proceeded to make a little hole on the bottom which he used to put a bit of his magic into the stone which added an orange hue to the heavenly glow of the stone.

And with that Natsu had finished creating the rings that will signify his union with the girl he loves.

"Ever since I met you that day back at the Nirvana incident I thought that you seemed similar to me. At first, I just shrugged off this feeling, but as I got to know you, I realized that you and I are more similar than I could even imagine. And ever since the day you found out the truth about your old guild I thought of you as a little sister that I will do anything to protect. This feeling only intensified as time passed and we learned about one another and experienced more adventures together. You were like a little sister to me, and I was content in being your protector. But that changed one day as my feelings for you started to change from their original sibling-like into something more that I didn't understand. My need to protect you and care for you increased with the change of feelings to the point that I went completely berserk when you got impaled with a spear back in that mission. Seeing you like you were that day made my heart to break like never before, and it caused me to realize just how much you meant to me. After that, the death of our friends came, and we were both heartbroken, but it was thanks to you that I managed to avoid being consumed by the grief I felt. Igneel often told me to find a girl who'll make my heart to pound and my face to have the biggest smile on it when I look at her. You are that girl Wendy. You are my savior, my best friend, my family, and the love of my life," Natsu recited his vow, causing Wendy and many of the females in the crowd to slightly tear up.

As Natsu finished his vow, Wendy wiped off the tears that escaped her eyes and turned around to Bisca, her maid of honor, and took the ring from her.

"When Grandinee disappeared on July 7th x777 I felt as if my world was shattered. The one I called my mother, my only friend, and the only one I loved disappeared without a trace. I was scared thinking it was I who drove her off or it was my inability to prevent that from happening that made me the reason she disappeared. Eventually, I met the Edolas counterpart of Jellal who accompanied me after I traveled alone. But he too left some time afterward for a reason I did not understand and left me with Cait Shelter. When he did my fears of being the cause of driving away, Grandinee grew, and I became unconfident in myself and my abilities. It was there I met Carla who became my first and best friend after Grandinee left. She helped me, she cared for me, and she loved me like Grandinee did but I always feared that one day she would leave me as well. When the Nirvana incident occurred, I feared that my inability would hinder us from completing our mission when so much was at stake. And I would've continued to feel that way if it wasn't for you Natsu. You, who was so similar to me, believed in me and my abilities and slowly gave me the confidence that I lost. At first, you were like the brother I so dearly wanted. Someone who'll make me happy, who will care for me, and help me unconditionally. But as time went on and we got closer I realized that what I thought I felt for you only scratched the surface. The effects you had on me since the day you and the others took me to Fairy Tail are things I will forever be grateful for. You broke me out of my shell and put your faith in me when most did not. It was thanks to you that I reached where I am today. You are my savior, my source of strength and happiness, my best friend, my family, and the love of my life," She recited, causing Natsu to give her a wide smile as few tears escaped his eyes.

The man smirked as he listened to their vows. "So with the power bestowed upon me by the Kardia Cathedral, I, Macao Conbolt, announce you husband and wife! You may kiss the bride" He announced causing the crowd to cheer which only intensified as Natsu took Wendy in a passionate kiss.

As the couple separated from the kiss, Natsu looked at everyone in the crowd, especially the guests, and smiled as he thought of the story behind each of them and how they came to be friends.

He looked at what Jellal and the members of Crime Sorcier who sat in the front row. How after a long negotiation with the council he and Wendy had managed to convince them about the independent guild's good intentions and the integrity of its members despite their past actions. It was a long and tiresome campaign, but it was one that they finished with a smile. Even if Natsu's feelings about the Tenrou Group and their actions that day did not change much from when it happened, it did not change the fact that they were once a part of his family. Knowing that he and his wife had managed to give a second chance to the one who captured the heart of one of their family members brought a smile to their face. It also helped to know that one member of the group was the legacy of his deceased friend teacher.

But like many good things in life, the decision of the council also had a catch in it, and it was actually a catch that both Natsu and Wendy did not mind at all. As a part of their agreement with the council, it was decided that Crime Sorcier will no longer be an independent guild and instead will be a part of Fairy Tail. At first, Natsu and Wendy resisted knowing that Jellal's guild stood for a specific purpose that did not correspond with Fairy Tail's own which was to demolish dark guilds and find Zeref. But after discussing the available options between themselves, they had come up with a solution that made both parties happy. They had decided to make Crime Sorcier a part of Fairy Tail by making it a branch guild that took responsibility of all dark guilds and Zeref related things. This decision was bigger than it sounded as it also meant that the two masters took full responsibility for the members of Crime Sorcier and their actions. They were the people who will be held accountable for any inappropriate action caused by the previously independent guild.

Ever since that day, a great bond has formed between the members of Crime Sorcier and Natsu and Wendy. Jellal, Ultear, and Meredy have become people who the two Dragonslayers considered a part of their family.

As he stopped reminiscing about his past with the members of Crime Sorcier, Natsu turned his gaze toward two other people who also sat in the front row.

One was a slim, yet muscular, toned young man of average height with spiky blond hair while the other was a slim young man of average height with rather messy black hair. If the appearance of the two did not stand up already, then the two Exceeds that sat on their did the job. He looked back at how he came to meet the two fellow Dragonslayers. It has been a year and a half since that day. At first, it was a normal day for the salmon-haired guild master until the doors to the guild were slammed open by a blonde boy who looked to be no older than fourteen. The first thing he noticed about the blonde was the way his eyes looked to be frantically searching for something before they stopped as soon as they landed on him. No words were spoked by the blonde, and instead, he just lunged at Natsu with his arm pulled back as if he prepared to punch him. Of course, the attack was nothing special for the great guild master. That is until he heard the name of the attack that caused him to lose his composure if only slightly.

 _ **"White Dragon's Claw** "_ he called the attack as he released the light white that was gathered in the same hand Natsu thought he was going to punch him with. Natsu, detecting the risk the attack had quickly dodged the attack and allowed it to collide with the wall behind him where it made a hole.

As everything settled down after the attack and the blonde showed no intentions of attacking Natsu again, the salmon-haired slowly approached him and asked him why he barged into his guild and attacked him. The boy looked at him with fiercely as he told him that it was his goal to defeat and surpass his fellow Dragonslayer the infamous Salamander of Fairy Tail, Natsu Dragneel who he looked up to. Of course, the salmon-haired guild master was surprised although less than he was when he heard the name of the blonde's attack. He asked him why he wished to defeat him to which the blonde replied that he wished for the words of his Exceed, Lector, about killing his own Dragon not to be taken as a lie. As soon as he heard that Natsu was pissed as images of Igneel flashed in his mind. If he were anything like the old him he would have already clobber the boy, but he wasn't as being a guild master forced him to mature. He sighed as he understood that probably not all Dragonslayers had the same type of relationship he and the other two Slayers in his guild had with their Dragons. With that in mind, he told Sting that he accepts his offer and will fight him.

The fight wasn't long, but it wasn't short either. There were points where people could have assumed Sting will emerge victorious out of the fight. That is if they did not know Natsu, but those who watched did know the salmon-haired, and they knew that the fight was his all the time. Like they expected Sting has lost against Natsu leaving the boy devasted as his purpose has been shattered. The minute Natsu saw the resigned and defeated look on his fellow Dragonslayer's face he frowned before he approached him and placed his hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner as he spoke.

"I know how much you wanted to win this fight both for yourself and your Exceed and how devasted you are that you did not succeed. Your face is one of resignation and defeat when it should be one of determination and acceptance. You may have lost this fight but know that you should not give up. Accept your loss today and be determined to grow stronger until the day when you feel that you are capable of defeating me has arrived. When it does I will be here waiting to fight you with a smile on my face," It was these words that sparked their bond.

Fortunately, his meeting with Rogue has been less eventful than his meeting with Sting. It happened a week after Natsu's meeting with the blonde Dragonslayer where he came back to Fairy Tail with a companion by his side. At first, Natsu was confused seeing as how Sting came alone the first time, but he soon shrugged it off to the boy meeting a new friend. The boy, known as Rogue, calmly approached Natsu and began to talk to him. He told him how he was a Third Generation Dragonslayer like Sting meaning that he is a genuine Dragonslayer who also had a Dragon Lacrima implanted into him. This caught Natsu off-guard as Sting never told him about the Lacrima part, and he made it known by glaring at Sting who was decent enough to look sheepish. Rogue then told him of his admiration of Gajeel that exceeded as far as him declaring himself as Gajeel's sworn younger brother and wanting to join Phantom Lord like his subject of admiration did. The raven-haired slayer then told him how hearing about Gajeel's death erased his purpose in life and he found himself wandering around Fiore trying to find a new purpose which led him to meet Sting who he quickly befriended due to their similarities. But despite him becoming friends with Sting, he still found himself lacking a purpose in life which brought to him tagging along with Sting when he mentioned visiting a fellow Dragonslayer in Fairy Tail.

Natsu looked at Rogue with a sad smile before he put his hand on his shoulder the same way he did to Sting and spoke.

"Losing someone who has such an effect on your life is never easy especially when your purpose in life revolved around him. I know how lost you feel due to the major changes in your life but know that you should never give up. Finding a new purpose is never easy, but it isn't hard as well. Look deep inside you, and you will find a new purpose in life," Just like with Sting, it was Natsu's speech that signaled the beginning of their bond.

Eventually, time passed, and the bond between Natsu and the two Dragonslayers continued to grow. It wasn't long afterward that he introduced them to Wendy and the two formed a sisterly bond with her as well.

Rogue has eventually found his purpose in defending everything that was precious to him and also surpassing Gajeel. As for Sting, he continued to relentlessly train for the day where he and Natsu will fight again.

At some point, Natsu extended an invitation for them to join Fairy Tail saying that while he respected their wish to live on their own, they should have a place to call real home. But the two declined his offer and said that they want to forge their own path which eventually led them to a guild called Sabertooth that was led by someone called Jiemma.

He flashed a broad smile as he turned his attention back to his wife. She had come a long way since he first saw her during the Nirvana incident when she fell upon entering the meeting hall with Carla. He loved his wife with every fiber of his being, and he could not wait to start a family with her and make both Igneel and Grandine proud of them. The girl in front of him was the same girl who loved him unconditionally, who always believed in him and never doubted or criticized him. This was the girl who sacrificed what many others would die to regain for his sake, and the meaning behind all of it never escaped him.

This was the girl who he loved unconditionally, who he always believed in and never doubted or criticized. This was the girl who he will sacrifice everything to ensure her face will always be one of happiness.

There were many other ways the two Dragonslayers could describe their love for each other, but none of it will truly reflect the feelings in their hearts. That was just the way their love was. Love that is so strong that it transcended the love known to everyone else.

He briefly looked up towards the ceiling with a faraway look before he spoke with a smirk etched on his face.

"I finally found her Igneel, the girl you always told me to find,"

* * *

 ** _AN: Don't forget to Favorite, Follow, and Review!_**


	10. Chapter 10

_**AN: Hey guys and welcome to the tenth chapter of "Dragon Masters of Fairy Tail."**_

 _ **I want to thank everyone who Favorited, Followed, and Reviewed!**_

 _ **I also want to deeply apologize for the time it took me to update. I won't begin to explain myself as to why I did not update for so long but I will say that life got in the way followed by a writer's block for this story. I do have the story planned out from beginning to end but the way to execute those plans was what gave me the writer's block.**_

 _ **However, I think I have managed to overcome it and therefore published this chapter. I hope you will enjoy it!**_

 _ **I will also note that I have written this chapter without having it revisited by a beta so if there are any mistakes I apologize.**_

 _ **This chapter will depict the long-awaited return of the Tenrou group and be the end of the time skips for the time being.**_

 _ **Now, without further ado here is the new chapter. Enjoy!**_

"Talking."

 _'Thoughts.'_

 _"Quotation"_

 **"Attacks"**

A lone figure stood atop of a pier gazing longingly towards the endless ocean in front of him.

The figure had salmon hair, a set of black eyes and lean, muscular body. His wardrobe consisted of a sleeveless and open, blue trimmed, white coat that reached all the way to his feet with the insignia of his Guild embedded on the back. His trousers were baggy and black in color while his feet were clad in black combat boots.

 _'It's been seven years since that day...'_ The figure thought wistfully.

His eyes never wavered even when he felt a weight settle on his head nor when a voice spoke in his ear.

He knew who it was and what his intentions were, but he could not gather the willpower to banish the somber and mournful mood that settled over him today.

"Come on Natsu! I want to go fishing!" He vaguely heard him yell in his ear.

With a detached voice, he answered. "I can't Happy, maybe later," Happy deflated and flew away towards the Guildhall where Carla awaited him.

It wasn't until the morning had turned into an early afternoon that Natsu was snapped out of his trance by a soft hand on his cheek.

"I was worried about you," He heard her melodious voice whisper tenderly in his ear causing him to shudder.

He gripped the hand that rested on his cheek and squeezed it slightly. "I am sorry. I just can't believe it's been seven years since that day," He told her.

The woman sighed. "I can't believe it either but sinking in grief and sorrow again will only do you harm. You have changed tremendously since then and each day when I wake up next to you I am filled with extreme pride and happiness," She comforted him.

He turned around to face her and his eyes drank her appearance with vigor.

Hair the same blue it was on the day he met her and brown eyes that no longer held the innocence of a child but rather the experience of a full-grown adult as well as immense power. Her figure remained the same curvaceous and busty as it was since the day of her aging with the addition of toned arms, legs, and stomach that showed very clearly the hard work she was putting her body through.

Her blue, flowing dress billowed slightly in the wind as she stood to face the ocean beside her husband with her hand now holding his in a show of silent comfort.

"I don't know what I would've done without you, Wendy," Natsu confessed.

Wendy giggled. "I don't know either," She teased him before giving him a peck on his cheek.

The couple continued to stand there each drawing comfort from the other before the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps caused them to look behind them.

"Daddy! Mama!" They managed to turn around right before two small projectiles collided with them causing them to slightly stagger back.

The wide smile that graced the face of the two Dragon Slayers as they gazed down at their children could not be erased.

A few weeks after their weddings brought for another joyous event for the Guild as Wendy announced that she was pregnant with twins which caused Natsu to almost faint in surprise before utter elation filled him.

He vowed on that day that his children will never know what it is to miss a parent as he would always be there for them to guide them on their journey to adulthood with Wendy by his side.

Their children, now three years old, were very special which was something the couple took extreme pride in.

The boy, Ignatius, had the same facial features of his father and brown eyes of his mother while his hair was the same dark blue as his mother with a few strands of salmon.

Meanwhile, the girl, Amaya, had the facial features of her mother and black eyes of her father while her hair was the same salmon as her father with a few strands of dark blue.

Ignatius possessed the same Sky Dragon slaying magic of his mother while Amaya possessed the same Fire Dragon slaying magic of her father.

However, something that greatly surprised the couple was the similar compatibility they had to one another much like Natsu and Wendy own compatibility after their mating.

The couple did not discover the full depths of their newfound high compatibility in their magic, but they knew that if their children experienced the same thing then there was no telling how powerful they will be.

However, the reason for this odd occurring eluded them mainly because the only reason their own magic became that way was that of their mating. Eventually, they had decided to let it go saying that it must be something related to the fact of them being twins.

"What is it?" Natsu asked his children as the twins released their tight hold on their parents and stepped back.

"Funny people came and looked for you so we went to find you!" The two announced in between their fits of giggles.

Natsu and Wendy, however, did not laugh and instead grabbed their children and began making their way to the guild.

Who were those funny people their children spoke about? More importantly, what did they want?

It wasn't until they arrived at the Guildhall that those questions were answered as they saw the members of Blue Pegasus standing in the doorway while their large airship, Christina, flew above the Guildhall.

The Dragneel couple could not help the groan that escaped them when they saw just who the members of Blue Pegasus were.

The Trimens accompanied by their leader performed their usual introduction before they approached the two Guild Masters with grave looks on their face.

"Why did you come, Ichiya?" Natsu asked the leader of the Trimens with a calculating look.

"We have come to tell you that we have managed to detect something in the Ethernano waters around where Tenrou Island used to be," Natsu's eyes momentarily widened before reverting.

In a neutral voice, he asked. "What exactly does it mean?" He had a feeling he knew what the answer will be, but he refused to believe it.

"It means that Tenrou Island still exists," Gasps resounded through the Guildhall at this revelation.

Natsu stood there in a stunned silence as he digested Ichiya's words. Despite the feeling he had regarding his knowledge of Ichiya's answer to his question he could not help the shock that overtook him.

Hearing it spoken by someone else and not as a vain attempt to cling onto the hope that the members who went to Tenrou Island survived but as a concrete fact by people he trusted and knew had conducted heavy searches made that hope to no longer appear as vain.

"T-Thank you Ichiya; Fairy Tail cannot begin to describe the gratitude it feels towards your Guild as well as the others who helped with the searches," Natsu said.

"Men!" Ichiya nodded sagely before he and the Trimens parted from the Guild leaving Fairy Tail to deal with the newfound information regarding the events of seven years ago.

"We have to go there!" Someone at the Guild yelled.

"Let us verify the truth of it before we rejoice!" Another yelled as well.

It wasn't long before the Guildhall fell into chaos as many of the members voiced their opinions on the course of actions they should take.

At last, after seeing that the chaos has gotten out of control and did not seem to come to an end anytime soon Wendy intervened.

"Enough!" She yelled and instantly the Guild quieted down.

"I know that the information is shocking and many of you have different opinions on what we should do but do not forget that it is my husband and me who will end up making that decision and we have decided that a search party will be made,"

"The search party will consist of Bisca, Alzack, Jellal, Warren, Wendy, and Carla and they shall depart tomorrow at sunrise," Natsu picked up.

After that, the Guild quieted considerably as the members decided to speculate about the theories of what happened and just what will the search party find tomorrow upon arriving at the Ethernano Waters.

"I know how you feel Natsu and no matter what happens I will always be there for you," Natsu heard his wife say.

Natsu sighed and turned to face her. "I don't know what to think anymore. It has been seven years and it was hard, but we had managed to put it behind us as much as possible and now the chance of them being alive feels more real than ever and with the thought of facing them again I cannot help but feel the betrayal and anger I felt on that day when I was not chosen. It seems petty and childish to hold onto those feelings, but this is the last memory I have of them and it tainted the other memories. Knowing that you have the pride and love of your family and friends in their last moments is what makes the grieving more bearable and the fact that in their last moments they betrayed and rejected me made it even more unbearable than it was. Instead of thinking of happy moments we shared I thought of missed opportunities to prove them that they were wrong. Instead of fondly remembering them my heart ached at the mention of their names,"

Wendy looked at her husband in sadness as she gripped his hand in her to show her silent support which caused the Fire Dragon slayer to turn his gaze to her and smile weakly.

With that, the Dragneel family departed from the Guild as each parent prepared for the next day in his own way.

 _ **(The Next Day...)**_

It was early in the morning when the search party for Tenrou Island boarded the ship at Hargeon's port. Everyone's posture was slightly awkward, and Wendy attributed it to the growing excitement and hope every one of the party felt as the moment of truth came closer and closer.

After handling a few last-second problems the boat had finally departed towards its destination.

Right now, they were at the place Tenrou Island used to reside but upon arrival, their expressions fell as they saw nothing but the vast sea.

Refusing to let the growing despair to overcome them, the search party had restlessly continued to search for hours but to no avail.

"There's nothing there..." Warren muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Perhaps they're really gone," Jellal spoke as sadness overcame him as he thought of the girl he loved and the hope he felt at the slim chance to see her again.

Tears began to fall from everyone's eyes as they accepted the cold, harsh truth that the Tenrou Group was not coming back.

Each and every one of the search party grieved for something different. Some grieved for their lost love, some grieved for a lost friend, and some grieved for their parental figure.

Carla looked solemnly at the endless sea knowing how much the news will hurt those who stayed at the guild when she suddenly saw something weird out in the sea.

She squinted her eyes hoping to improve her sight and gasped when she saw what exactly it was that she spotted.

She rubbed her eyes thinking it was probably an illusion that resulted from the extreme heat and when the girl still appeared Carla couldn't help the shock she felt.

It was a girl with a child-like build and with a very long, wavy, pastel yellow-blonde hair that reaches down to her feet. Her attire was made out of a frilly, pink layered robe with a red ribbon tied in a bow around her neck. Around the chest are three blue diamond patterns with two blue triangles above.

"What is wrong Carla?" Wendy asked as she saw the distress her Exceed was in before she turned her gaze to where Carla was looking at and gasped as well causing the rest of the search party to do the same.

"Is that... A girl?" Alzack asked in perplexing.

"I think it is but what is she doing there and how is she floating on the water?" Bisca questioned.

Just then, the girl looked up at the search party and her gaze met Wendy's own. She gave the bluenette a gentle smiled and raised her hand and caused the waves around her to crash and go crazy.

"W-What the hell?!" Everyone asked as they held tightly to whatever they managed to lay their hands on, so they would not fall off the ship.

"It's... Tenrou!" Wendy gasped in disbelief as she fell to her knees with tears in her eyes.

Everyone on the boat watched with wide-eyes as a large tree with a golden sphere with the Fairy Tail symbol on it started to rise out of the water. They continued to watch as Fairy Tail's sacred island continued to rise out of the depths of the sea.

As the island finished rising and the sphere around it vanished the girl who they saw standing atop of the water turned around and began to hover towards the Island.

They followed the girl into the island thinking that she was trying to show them the way.

As the girl had gained more and more distance from them the group had continued to cry out for her to wait but to no avail as the girl seemed to not hear them.

Seeing that, Carla grabbed Wendy and flew at maximum speed after the girl.

The Exceed continued to fly through the island dodging trees and foliage until she saw something that caused her to come to a screeching halt and her face to adopt a shocked look.

"Why did you stop Carla?" Wendy asked her.

"Wendy look!" Carla said as she flew closer to what had caught her interest.

Wendy turned her eyes to where her Exceed was looking at and gasped at what she saw.

A figure was lying on the ground half-buried and unmoving.

The Sky Dragon Slayer felt her throat constrict as she struggled to speak.

It wasn't until the rest of the search party had caught up with her and saw what had made their Master this way that they too mimicked her.

"J-Jet!" Alzack breathed out.

The team quickly approached Jet and attempted to wake him up.

"What the hell happened?" Jet groggily asked as he was finally woken up. He looked to his side and saw who woke him up and was surprised. "What are you guys doing here? And why do you look older?" He inquiry went unanswered as the search party was busy with handling their excitement at finding one of the Tenrou group alive and well.

"We should spread out and look for the rest!" Wendy commanded causing everyone to nod before they separated.

 _ **(Sometime Later...)**_

After what seemed like a very long and agonizing time the search party had managed to find everyone who was a part of the Tenrou group.

They were all alive and well although very confused.

They converged in a clearing where the girl who seemingly helped the group find their lost family and brought back Tenrou Island had also appeared.

Wendy and Carla stood alone as they gazed at the members around them with a smile on their face.

Jellal and Erza were sitting together with Erza's hand clutched tightly by Jellal as if afraid that she will disappear again. She noted Erza's shock at seeing her old friend there and knew that she will soon get her answers.

The Strauss siblings were also huddled together talking merrily to each other but occasionally stealing a glance at the members of the search party as if they still did not quite believe it was them.

The same was with Gajeel who was sitting with his Exceed, Lily, Levy, Jet, and Droy.

Gildarts was with Cana, who he now knew was his daughter, catching up with her.

Meanwhile, Alzack and Bisca had tackled Erza and Juvia in happiness while Warren embraced both Gray and Max.

Wendy was shocked to see Laxus - accompanied by the Thunder God Tribe - there but giggled slightly as she saw the Third Master's eagerness to tear a new one to his grandchild.

However, the noise in the clearing silenced when the girl began to speak.

"My name is Mavis. The First Master of Fairy Tail, Mavis Vermilion," Everyone was astonished when the girl revealed her identity. "At the time, I took the bond between you and the faith you have in one another, and converted it all to magic power," Mavis explained much to everyone's bafflement. "Your feelings activated Fairy Sphere, one of the Three Great Fairy Magics. It's Absolute Defense magic that protects the Guild against all evil. However, everyone was sealed away in a frozen state and it took seven years to be dispelled," She explained.

The Third Master smiled widely. "Of all things... The founder protected us," He said proudly.

Mavis shook her head. "No, I'm an astral body," She told them before she was enveloped in a golden glow and began to hover from the ground. "It was all I could do to transform everyone's power into magic. Unwavering faith and a strong bond between you will even win a miracle over to your side," She opened her eyes and gazed at Wendy. "Fairy Tail has become a fine guild, hasn't it? Fourth Master?" Her question caused everyone to be overcome by shock yet again as they all gazed at Wendy while Mavis had disappeared completely.

It was only at that moment that everyone had caught the biggest difference that occurred. Instead of the petite and shy girl stood a beautiful, tall, young woman with long blue hair and a curvaceous even more than Mirajane's and breasts that were on par with Lucy's.

But despite that, it wasn't until Gajeel had spoken with a voice full of shock that everyone had truly realized who this person was.

"W-Wendy?" He questioned in hesitation despite knowing that the scent he smelled was that of the Sky Dragon Slayer although slightly different.

"Wendy!" Everyone cried out in astonishment as they saw the girl who just yesterday assumed the form of a little girl with a petite build was.

But as everyone recovered from their shock Lucy had remembered something the First Master had said when she looked at Wendy.

"How did you age so much Wendy? You look almost at the same age as us!" Gray questioned.

Wendy laughed slightly. "I will tell you when we will arrive at the guild," She told them before anyone could question her further.

It wasn't until what Mavis had said had finally sunk into their minds that another round of questions had begun anew.

"Wait... Wendy... Are you the F-Fourth Master?" Lucy questioned in surprise.

Wendy nodded. "Yes, although I am not the only Guild Master now,"

"What do you mean? You are the Fourth Master, aren't you?" Mira asked in confusion.

The bluenette hummed. "I am but I am not the only one. Many things had changed in the Guild after your disappearance. Having dual Master's was one of the changes," Wendy explained.

"But why were two Masters' chosen?" Lisanna questioned.

"Because, when it was time to finally appoint a new Master the Guild could not think of anyone better than me and the other Master," Wendy told them while purposefully avoiding mentioning Natsu's name.

"What else has changed during our absence and who is the second Master?" Makarov questioned.

"You'll just have to wait and see," Wendy replied with a grin. "We should board the ship as soon as possible; we have a long way home,"

With that, everyone had boarded the ship.

 _ **(At Magnolia...)**_

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the Guildhall was tense with each hour that passed.

It was almost a day since the search party had taken off and they knew that they should be back soon.

They waited with baited breath and hearts thundering in their chests to see if they would indeed be reunited with their lost family.

Natsu, who was sitting at the bar drinking, looked more solemn than ever as he knew that should the search party come empty handed than the Guild will be crushed almost the same as they were when they first lost the Tenrou Group.

He turned his gaze towards his children who did not seem to notice the atmosphere in the guild.

Seeing their innocence warmed Natsu's heart. How he wished that his children will never lose their innocence, but he lamented the fact that it was a question of when and not if they'll lose it.

Such was the reality in their world and Natsu vowed to himself that he will be the shield for his family. He will spare them from going through the things that he did in his life. They will not know a parent abandonment. They will not a family's betrayal. They will not know the feeling of helplessness or solitude.

He could already sense it, the immense powers that his children held that was just waiting for the moment to burst out. In time, he knew, they will pass both him and his wife and become much greater than they ever hoped to be and that thought filled him with immense pride and contentment.

It was right then that the doors to the Guild have suddenly opened causing everyone to turn their eyes towards it.

Natsu couldn't help but stare slack-jawed at the scene in front of him while the Guild had become dead quiet.

There they stood, alive and young as if not a day has passed since their tragic disappearance at the hands of Acnologia.

"We're back!" He heard Lucy whisper softly as she tilted her head slightly to the side and flashed a brilliant smile towards everyone at the Guildhall.

"Y-You're alive!" Macao breathed out in disbelief as he pointed a shaky finger at the group.

He remained in his place content to watch from the sidelines as the lost members of his family reunited with the Guild members.

There will be time to confront them and there will be time for him to learn to adjust to having them in his life again now that the wound from seven years ago has been reopened.

After Makarov had finished retelling the story of Mavis appearance at Tenrou Island and Erza had gotten over her shock at learning about Alzack and Bisca's marriage and the news of their newborn child it was Mira who voiced the question that was seemingly forgotten.

"So... Who is the other Guild Master other than Wendy?" She questioned causing the rest of the Tenrou group to nod their head and begin to search for the possible Master.

Makarov's eyes lingered on Macao but the latter shook his head causing the aged third Master to frown.

 _'If it isn't Macao then who is the other Master?'_

"Our daddy is the Guild Master!" The voice of a little girl resounded through the Guild as she ran forward to stand before the Tenrou group with her brother.

"N-Na..." Lucy began shakily as she saw the girl's appearance while the rest of the Tenrou group stood there dumbfounded.

The girl had a familiar set of black eyes but her facial features were similar to Wendy's own. However, it was the color of her hair that caused everyone to know just who exactly this child is. The color that only one other person in this Guild had... Salmon.

"W-We-Wendy!" Lisanna stuttered as she looked at the boy.

The boy had a familiar set of brown eyes and dark blue with a few strands of salmon. His facial features were similar to Natsu's.

"Why don't you introduce yourself you two," A man's voice spoke as he approached to stand beside his children.

"My name is Amaya Dragneel and I am a Fire Dragon Slayer!" The girl introduced herself.

"Yo! I'm Ignatius Dragneel and I am a Sky Dragon Slayer!" The boy introduced himself.

There was no doubt left for the Tenrou group as they heard the introduction of the children.

Those... Those were Natsu and Wendy's, children.

They wanted to ask so many questions that they couldn't decide which question they wanted to ask first.

Who was the other Master? Where is Natsu? How did he and Wendy get together? Why Magnolia seemed to have undergone heavy changes? How Wendy looks as if she's the same age as Natsu?

They were snapped out of their trance when they heard a deep chuckle as someone stopped to stand before them.

They widened their eyes and their jaws fell to the ground as they caught sight of the person's appearance.

He looked older and his body told the story of a hardened warrior while his eyes spoke of the horrors he witnessed. The same toothy grin that made him stand out seemed to have disappeared completely and in its place was a cold, calculating look. However, just one look at the color of his hair told them that despite all the changes he seemed to have gone through it was him.

"I should probably introduce myself as well," He began before chuckling yet again. "Perhaps I should say re-introduction. I'm Natsu Dragneel, the Fire Dragon Slayer, husband of Wendy and father of Ignatius and Amaya, and Fairy Tail's other fourth Guild Master,"

He looked at his old friends and softened his gaze slightly and allowed a watery smile to escape.

"Welcome back home, everyone!"

 _ **AN: Don't forget to Favorite, Follow, and Review!**_


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